Dungeons and Ponies Book Two, Embrace of Ravenloft
by BemnalTheFallen
Summary: A sequel to D&P Book One that takes place in an alternate reality utilizing the campaign world of Ravenloft. D&P Book Two is centered in the Demi-Plane of Dread, a horror themed campaign where the reader's OCs brave the terrors of Gothic Equestria, each chapter a new adventure forcing the heroes to fight for survival in this mercess land of suffering. Welcome to Ravenloft Equestria
1. Welcome to Ravenloft

Dungeons and Ponies Book Two: Embrace of Ravenloft

A sequel to D&P Book One that takes place in an alternate reality utilizing the campaign world of Ravenloft. D&P Book Two is centered in the Demi-Plane of Dread, a horror themed campaign where the reader's OCs brave the terrors of gothic Equestria, each chapter a new adventure forcing the heroes to fight for survival in this merciless land of suffering. A much darker themed D&D story in which you the reader invents the heroes who struggle for survival.

***************************WARNING*****************************

Contains:

Anthro Ponies.

Gore.

Swearing.

Clop.

Intense Violence.

Psychological Torture.

****************************WARNING******************************

***DISCLAIMER***

I do not own My Little Pony Friendship is Magic, or Dungeons and Dragons, or Ravenloft. I have no aphiliations with the creatores of the forementioned show, game, and game supplement. I make no money off this work of fiction, this story is written purely for entertainment purposes. please support the official releases.

***DISCLAIMER***

Chapter One, Welcome to Ravenloft

-_You're going to die in this place. And I will eat what's left of your harrowed soul when the maggots finish with your body_- Excerpt from _The Secret Book of Bemnal the Fallen_

Cleft stared up at the moon as she lay upon her back. Cleft was an energy filled intividual, a blood red Pegasus with a silver and dark saphire striped mane that hugged around her head in an elegant manner. Her chocolate born eyes searched the unfamiliar skies of Ravenloft as her mind wondered.

How long had it been since the Mists stole her away from her homeland? Ten months? A year? Two years? No matter how long she spent in this hellish land, no ammount of accoustom would allow her to look upon those strange star alignments with clarity and comfort. The unfamiliar patterns only served to remind her of how far she was from home. Idly she wondered about her brother and father managing the tailor shop without her. Poor Swirl couldn't use a stitching mahcine to save his life.

Cleft chuckled as she thought of her borther screaming in panic while fabric got snatched into the sewing machine with smoke coming out of it. Her smile faltered, longing panging at her heart as the ache of homesickness tore at her insides once more. Cleft rubbed her belly, the tough cured leather sliding between the fur of her fingers, the leather bracers and boots around her hooves were light and tough but held countless notches and tears in them from recent adventures. She really should see a tanner about repairing her equipment...

The Bard sighed and sat up on her rump, or would have if not for the pony sleeping on her chest, muzzle burried inbetween her armor covered breasts. Cleft ran her fingers through the mare's raven black mane. Brawn, the tank of the group, such a lovely mare. A powerful Fighter normally covering every inch of her body in steel, but occasionally she would take her armor off to snuggle with Cleft.

Cleft kissed the top of the Unicorn's head and looked back up at the sky. If she could just find a way home... the fucking Vistani refused to help her no matter how much gold she offered. Fucking gypsies... Cleft curled her mouth into a look of disdain. It seemed like the whole of Ravenloft was against her. As if it absoloutely refused to let her leave, undermining any attempt at escape.

She'd heard much about the Dark Powers. Oh she'd heard a lot about a lot of things since coming to this strange place.

Ravenloft... the Demi-Plane of Dread... The result of a dead god's nightmare. Apparently, some time thousands of years ago, there was an immensely powerful Elder God who was prone to bad dreams. And one night, so the legend goes, he had such a horrible nightmare that it actually devoured his mind. The Elder God died and the Nightmare became sentient, consuming his power and magic, with it the Nightmare manifested a corporeal form. This new form took the shape of a pocket dimension, the Demi-Plane of Dread.

Everything in Ravenloft from the grass, to the bad dreams, to the twisted abominations of monsters, to the alarmingly large number of Vampires, Lycans, and Zombies, all the way up to the stars in the sky... it was all apart of The Nightmare. Indeed, The Nightmare IS Ravenloft. Laying here on the grass right now, Cleft was actually laying on the physical body of a canibilized Elder God turned inside out and devoured by its own dream.

Not that Cleft believed a word of that bullshit but that was the common belief in Ravenloft. A sort of religious creation theory...

What was very real however, were the Dark Powers. Whether or not the Dark Powers were the conciousness of The Nightmare or not Cleft was skeptical, but what was definite were the Dark Power's influence. The Dark Powers are a sort of... energy that flows throughout Ravenloft, manipulating events to just such away so that the most fucked up situations take root. They also like to twist the inhabitants of Ravenloft into psychotic monsters, tainting the mind with insanity and polluting the body with mutations.

Particularly evil beings with high amounts of power who were dragged into Ravenloft often creat a Sinkhole of Evil, warping reality around them with their corruption, these beings become the Darklords. Darklords are practically Demigods in their own right, the rulers of Ravenloft. In their own domains they hold absoloute power, but ironically the seat of their strength is also their prison. A Darklord can never leave his or her domain, confined to one major city or another.

Some of the more famous Darklords have become very well known in Ravenloft. And not all are evil... perhaps they were once, but some have learned to embrace a new lifestyle like Applejack or Rainbow Dash who both use their power as Darklords to try and change their domains for the better.

Ah yes... the seven 'big ones'... the seven strongest and oldest Darklords known as the Great Seven

There are two no-so-evil ones...

Applejack De Pummel, Darklord of the northewestern cities filled with ice and snow, a very strong and agile Equinebear, not somepony you want to mess with, especially given that she's over two thousand years old. That's a lot of time to perfect the art of killing somepony. The Ranger does her best to teach the Lycans in her domain to defend mortals from the monsters that lurk within the shadows and her capitol city is home to some of the most famous Vampire Slaying guilds. Applejack held such a connection with the wild that she obtained the Druid's ability to shapeshift into animals. But this ability was twisted by the Dark Powers and she became the First Lycan as well as the First Equinebear.

Rainbow Dash Van Richten, Darklord of... nowhere... the strangest of the bunch, Rainbow Dash is the only Darklord who has defied the confines of the Dark Powers and has the freedome to travel wherever she pleases. The Vampire Hunter is said to be the fastest being in Ravenloft, and an absoloute master at knife fighting. She published several books that are used by adventurers to this very day as guidelines for how to survive the land of mists. Rainbow Dash Von Ricthen's Guides. Cleft herself had several different editions, and the precious informaiton within had more than proved their worth by saving her life on countless occasions. Applejack passed on her gift of shape-shifting immortality to Rainbow Dash, but it manifested differently in the Pegasus and turned her into the First Equinewolf. Applejack and Rainbow Dash continued to pass on their power to others and several varients of The Beast popped out until Lycan versions of nearly every land predator walked the lands.

Then there's the more... neutral of the Darklords...

Luna ae Sol, Darklord of the Northern Lands. An incredibly powerful Death Priest. She is a terrifying Lich of tremendous power. She's also batshit crazy. Ironically she built every asylum that exists within Ravenloft, all situated in her domain. There she studies the mad and the broken of mind performing all sorts of 'experiments' on them. Cleft shuddered at the thought, Adventurers who had the misfortune of finding their way into Luna's clutches found themselves the subject of absoloute terror as she stuffs them in one of her Asylum. However, as long as you're not stupid enough to enter any of her buildings she'll leave you alone. There's even some tales of those whome Luna has actually allowed to leave one of her asylums.

Fluttershy Braveheart, Darklord of the southwestern lands. Once a gentle Druid who brought kindness and love to the world, but nowadays... she's.. different. Something happened two thousand years ago that broke her inside and over the centuries she slowly twisted into something unnatural and perverse. Whatever she is now... she is no longer a pony be any means. She has become something... wrong... an abomination against nature. Over time she also developed Psionics to a god-like level and slumbers deep within the Everfree Forest surrounded by villages filled with Mind Flayers and Ilithids who worship her as a goddess. They say that the animals who enter Fluttershy's domain are twisted by her Sinkhole of Evil and turned into horrors that could kill most ponies just from gazing upon their unnatural forms. Her druidic knowledge and mastery of psionics has allowed her to continue existing unimpeded by age.

And Then... there are the truly evil of the Great Seven...

PInkamena Diane Pie, Darklord of the southern lands. A great Bard in her youth, spreading music and joy... but that changed... as the legends go, she once friends with all the Darklords both the Great Seven and the minor ones. But when they all began to twist into the monstrosities that they are today... she got so very sad... and angry... and eventually she herself twisted into a monster, bitter and spiteful, she opresses the ponies within her domain and those who are unfortunate to wonder in are... well they'll soon wish that the guards had just slit their throats. Pinkamena has a... very sick idea of 'fun'. It is believed that at some point she struck a deal with a demon to attain immortality if only to continue making the lives of those around her a living tartarus for all time in spiteful revenge against the universe for destroying her friendships.

Rarity Von Gem, Darklord of the central lands at the heart of Ravenloft. Very little is known about the Thief Rarity. There are a tremendously large number of stories about her, but many conflict one another, nopony is even sure what she looks like. What consistency however, is her unadulterated cruelty. It is said that she tortures, rapes, and kills her own subjects for entertainment, and adventurers who wonder into her domain will beg for death before they leave. Yes, she lets them leave, alive, so that they must continue their existence carrying the horrifying memories of what they experienced at her hands. Despite her fucked up idea of entertainment, the mystery that is Rarity is a fascinating one, so many stories that conflict and twist; so many tales about how she came to be, how she was twisted into this dark being and the extent of her power are fascinating. She is a true enigma, as nopony has any true accounts with acurate information revolving around her. And unlike the other Great Seven, nopony has the slightest idea how she obtained her immortality or what exactly has allowed her to exist all these years.

Twilight Carona Sparkle, the Darklord of the eastern lands. The most terrifying of the bunch. A complete master of magic, Twilight is a Necromancer of unmatched skill and power, ironically enough however she is not a Lich, but instead a Vampire. The First Vampire. No documents exist on how Twilight obtained Vampirism. Some say she invented a spell, others say she made a potion, some say she made a deal with a powerful demon, others say she was cursed by the Dark Powers for her evil ambition. Twilight is also known by title as the Mother of Vampires, or the Blood Goddess. Vampires grow ever stronger with age and those who reach the thousands are truly gods in their power and skill. Twilight is the one who set this precident, she sleeps in Ravenloft Castle as the queen of all Ravenloft and the Dark Power's most successful attempt at turning a pony into a true monster. Twilight is the official ruler of all Ravenloft, but few actually know of her Vampirism. She takes a husband from her domain every few decades, marries him, then declairs her pregnancy as well as the unfortunate 'accidental' dealth of her husband. Then twenty years later Twilight the II claims rulership of Ravenloft, then Twilight the III, IV, V, and so on. Magic users often live for a long time and thus she only does this once every two hundred years. Currently she is Twilight Carona Sparkle the XII. Her dark ambition is to ascend into the greatest hights of godhood and wipe all the planes of exsistence clean of all life so that she may recreate the universe as she sees fit.

Cleft sighed as she stood up and nudged her lover off her chest. Eventually she stretched her tired body and looked around.

lls you to be scare, even if you think you're being ridiculous... you should listen to it.

Cleft walked over to Sliver Peak and nudged the Earth Pony with her hoof, the Shadowcaster grubled and rlled around in his black robes concealing enchanted weightless chainmail beneath.

"What?" he asked as he looked up with a drowzy expression.

"Time to get up, we're almost there." Cleft replied.

And so the purple stallion sighed and stood up, pushing strands of his orange mane out of his green eyes he gave Cleft a bland stare, "fine. Let's go." he said in a thin tone. Silver always had a bit of... abrasiveness to him. Not that Cleft minded, that just ment that he kept to himself and that was fine enough for her. She didn't like getting to attatched. Which made her relationship with Brawn problematic. But she'd sort that out later. For now, they had to move, they were so close to the crypt...

After waking Brawn up from her deathly slumber, the three made their way into the crypt, a large cairn delving deep underground but opening out into a surprisingly well constructed underground castle.

They walked for two hours through a seemingly unending hallway until... snap. Fingers rapping against oneanother, the hallway faded away into a single room and there stood a mare in a red robe with golden eyes, "well, that was... boring... I'd hoped there was a bit of... unrest between you three. The illusion is unfortunately not very bright and can only play on hatred and jealously between adventurers if it... is actually there. But you three don't seem to hold any ill will towards one another, odd."

Rather than letting Cleft open up negotiations and avoid a fight, Silver shot forth an arrow of darkness that the mare immediately caught with her bare hand.

The Bard glared at the Shadowcaster who ignored her look and pulled out a mace and a dagger.

The red roobed mare stood up chuckling as she crushed the concentrated tube of darkness. "adorable. My turn!" The mare thrust her fingers out and lightning lept from them striking all three adventurers.

Cleft took the worst of it much to her chargin, but the Bard recovered and shook her head as her legs wobbled to keep her upright, "FUCK that hurt!" Brawn exclaimed. Cleft had to agree.

The Fighter withdrew her claymore from her side and slashed out at the mysterious mare who dodged it with unnatural speed, then popped up behind Brawn and shoved her hand like a spear straight through the Figther. Brawn hurped and coughed up blood as the robbed mare tossed her into the wall like a rag doll.

Cleft rushed over to the fallen warrior and pulled out a holy symbol to administer a Cure Serious Wounds spell.

Meanwhile, Silver summoned up a blanket of shadow that began to encase the entire room.

The robbed mare smile revealing sharp fangs while her eyes glowed red, "I can see in the darkness idiot."

The Shadowcaster smirked back, "not this kind of darkness." And everything was black... and quiet... no smell, no sound, so sight, no taste... the sense of touch was all that remained for Cleft as she flaied her hands around searching for Brawn's injured body.

Then the darkness vanished, Cleft saw that Brawn was standing up rubbing her torso where she'd been stabbed which now held a closed wound. On the other side of the room, Silver had his dagger plunged into the Vampire's back poking out through her chest straight through the heart. The enchanted silver glowed with vengence as it burned through undead flesh and the mare fell down to her knees and onto her belly with the Shadowcaster ontop of her. Silver stood up and lifted his mace into the air, "I fucking hate Vampires." and then reduced her skull to paste.

The Vampire's body burst into a purple mist losing its corporeal form and began to drift back to its coffin.

"Oh no you don't!" Silver exclaimed and pulled out some blessing seeds, crushed them in his grasp, and tossed the dust onto the purple mist which then swirled and wailed with a distorted scream before vanishing completely.

The three sighed in relief. And so they passed through the door into the next hallway and continued on with their journey.

XXXXX

Two hours into the dungeon dive...

"AAAHHHHHH!" Cleft screamed as she and her companions ran from Giant Skeletons.

"CAN'T YOU DO ANYTHING?!" Brawn screamed.

"THEY'RE TOO STRONG FOR MY TURN UNDEAD!" Cleft yelled back.

The seven giants gave the trio no reprieve and thus Silver had no chance to let off a spell. And then Cleft tripped over a razor wire trap that nearly took her entire hoof off, the mare yelped as she fell flat on her face.

"Gods damn it!" Brawn yelled as she turned around and pulled out a throwing axe, then hurled it at one of the Giant Skeletons but the blow didn't seem to do too much damage.

At last the Shadowcaster had a chance and let loose a tapestry of darkness that sailed towards the giants lighting them up with a dark fire that caused them to flail and panic.

Cleft could still cast one more Cure Serious Wounds spell but she wanted to save that for an emergency and so instead she used a Cure Minor Wounds and watched as the sinew of her hoof stitched itself up. "Ok... I think I can run..." Cleft got up, a singing pain biting at her ankle but she told it go fuck itself and ran. With the skeletons distracted, Brawn and Silver joined Cleft at the end of the hallway taking a sharp left and passing into a new room locking and barring the door behind them.

"Phew!" Silver exclaimed, "OK... I do NOT want to go through that again..."

Cleft had been in the lead when the Giant Skeletons first attacked and thus avoided most of the attacks, Brawn's armor protected her from a good chunk of the blows but she still had a few broken ribs and was almost postive that her shoulder was dislocated.

Silver however got the worst of it, he'd taken a spike right through his stomach from the skeleton's spear but patched it up with some healing salves he'd mixed from herbs. The three adventurers stopped to take a breather before continuing on.

Two minutes in and they felt a rumbling, they looked up to see a vertical slab sailing down towards them, "SHIT!" they shouted and lunged forward barely avoiding the thing. When they crash landed, they noticed the new halway had dones of vertical slab doors down the halls. Then the two closest opened. And twenty zombies slumped out of each.

"That's... not... good..." Brawn said. And then they RAN! Sprinting as fast as they could as slabs began opening up left and right down the hall and soon there was literally a sea of undead chasing after them. Not very fast mind you, but still chasing none the less.

And then things got worse. They ran into a locked door, very large black iron with a complex lock.

"no... no, no, no, NO!" Brawn pounded on the door.

"Fucking damn it..." Silver turned around and winced as his wound opened up from all the sprinting, blood soaking through his armor and robe as he drew his mace and dagger, summoning up his magical energies. Unfortunately there weren't much left. He'd used most of his spells against the Giant Skeletons when they first popped into the hallway and if he used the remainder of his magic now... not only would he not have any for latter encounters but using up every single spell he was capable of casting in a day would render him unconcious.

"Fuck, fuck, FUCK!" The stallion's hands tightened their grip on the weapons while the undead aproached.

Cleft took deep breaths to try and calm herself before pulling out her lockpicks and setting to work. But shaking hands made her fumble a lot and sweat from her palmst began to mat the torsion wrench and the pick making them hard to hold onto, "g-gods dman it..." she whispered as sweat from her forehead fell down into her eyes, she wiped her head and took another breath. One tumbler... got it... the second... the thir- FUCK!... First tumbler... second... third...

"CAN YOU GO ANY SLOWER!" Brawn shouted causing Cleft to mess up the alignment with the sheer line and all the tumblers fell back into their locked position. "Godsdamn it I'm going as fast as I fucking can! Now shut up and let me work!" Cleft once again began flirting with the lock, one tumbler... two... three...

The zombie army were only a dozen feet away and closing in, Brawn drew her claymore and rushed in, cleaving through multiple bodies at once while Silver crashed his mace into the undead skulls and parried their blows with his dagger.

Five... Six... Seven... Eight tumblrs... fuck how complex is this lock? Nine-CLICK!

Cleft's breath caught, she twisted the torshion wrench until the lock fully unlatched with a satisfing shift of metal, "I GOT IT!" she tackled through the unlocked doors and her companions weren't far behind. Then the three slammed the double doors shut behind them, several undead arms reaching through got caught as the barriers closed.

The three shoved with all their might hoping to sever the limbs and shut the door for good but soon the entire strength of the sea of undead began pushing back against them and their hooves slid slightly across the floor, the doors slowly opening.

The three ponies grunted as their muscles were strained to the limit.

And then... they heard some shifting of metal...

The suits of old pony knight armor stood as silent vigils along the walls seemingly for decoration... until one of them began to turn its helmet to face the adventurers.

Silver felt his fur prickling at the back of his neck and turned his head slowly around as dread gripped his heard, there standing behind him was a Doom Guard, battle axe raised high in the air. The Shadowcaster couldn't even let out a scream before the blade burried itself in his skull. As the pony fell off the axe to his death, the strength of the zombies overwhelmed the two mares and the doors burst open.

The two cursed as they turned and ran down the hallway, suits of armor coming to life around them and swinging with terrifying strength. Cleft ducked and jumped to avoide the blades while Brawn parried the attacks with her vembraces.

Finally at the end they reached another door, thankfully unlocked. But it was a bit stuck as if barred from the other side.

"Oh no... no, no, no, fuck you!" Brawn exclaimed with a snort of fury and tackled the door with all her bulk smashing through the wooden bar on the other side. Unfortunately this sprung a magical trap and a wall of whirling blades appeared, vertical saws lashed out lopping off the Fighter's legs.

Cleft cringed and covered her mouth. A Glyph of Warding trapped with Blade Barrier... ouch... The whirling saw blades dissapeared and Brawn cried out a wail of agony while blood spewed out from her thighs. Cleft couldn't bare the sight and rushed past her.

"Cleft!" The Fighter shouted, "help me!"

Cleft look back, lips trembling, "I-I can't..."

"I know you still have a healing spell left! Help me!"

Cleft backed up, tears begining to pour down her face, "I-I can't I'm sorry... I'm s-so sorry..."

Brawn's face twisted in hurt and confusion, "wh.. why?!"

Cleft began sobbing, "o-only one pony can h-have their wish granted by the seer..." she swallows and steels her voice, "and I WILL see my family again... goodbye Brawn..."

The Fighter gaped, her face plastered with shock and betrayal, the Bard rushed on ahead as the monsters caught up to the door.

"YOU BITCH! YOU FUCKING BITCH! CLEEEEEFT!" Brawn shouted. The Doom Guards swung their large weapons into her prone body splitting muscles open, and then the zombies set upon her, dropping ontop of her downed body, prying her armor of and began feasting on her flesh, her gargled screams rang throughout the dark halls.

XXXXX

Cleft sobbed as she ran, taking random turns around the maze of the dungeon, vision blurred by tears. She kept wiping them dry but they just kept wetting themselves again. Stupid eyes...

The Bard had to stop and lean against a wall, heaving for breath, her lungs burned from all the running, her muscles ached from the dodging. She'd barely even fought with her rapier and pistol but she was so... so tired... just... a little rest... just a small one...

NO!

Cleft shook her head and forced her hoves to continue walking, just... just a little further... the end of the maze has to be... THERE!

Cleft saw a large ornate door of obsidian at the end of the corridor, finally... it... was over... she'd find the seer, she'd get her wish and she'd see her family again... finally... this hellish Equestria in this fucked up world of Ravenloft would just be a bad memory...

Cleft sprinted forward as a second wind took over her, only to be trumped as she stepped upon a pressure plate, javelins began shooting out of the walls and ceiling, Cleft tried to dodge as best she could but wound up with five of the poles impailing her, one through her leg, another through her waist to the left of her belly, another in her shoulder, another in her chest that somehow missed her lungs and heart, and one more in her forearm.

The Bard fell to the ground, so... so close... she tried to drag herself towards the door, blood pressure dropping dramatically, she could begin to feel her body temperature dropping dramatically. So... close...

And then she saw a dark black mist filll the air, she rolled over to see large figure aproaching.

"Oh no... no..."

A Grim Reaper, a tall three eyed skeleton shrouded in a black hooded robe wielding a massive great-scythe. "no, no! I can't! Not yet! I'm so close!" she shouted.

Reapers... negative plane creatures that haunt Ravenloft, and Equestria in particular... whenever a powerful being is at death's door... so close but... not quite dead... sometimes... rarely, a Reaper will come to feed on their death.

Cleft backpeddled as much as she could with the javelins in her, she began prying the poles out of her body wailing in agony each time. The Grim Reaper drew closer, floating silently with a cold black mist of frost trailing under it. "NO!" Cleft fished around in her tool belt for her holy symbol, her mind racking for a solution. They only thing she could think of at the time was 'it's negative planar...' She cast Negative Plane Protection on herself as fast as possible.

The Reaper stretched out a boney hand towards her bleeding body but as soon as it touched, a magical spark zapped its entire body and it reeled back roaring in anger. It slammed the staff of its scythe into the ground sending out a massive shockwave that sent Cleft flying closer to the door, unfortunately it also sent her holy symbol flying out of her hand. The mare desperately tried to stand up but her legs were entirely numb. She collapsed onto her chest and began using her arms to drag herself across the ground, a long wide line of blood trailing behind her.

The Grim Reaper recovered and floated over to the mare fighting for her life. The Reaper lifted his scythe up and plunged it down into Cleft's leg making her shriek in pain, the scythe's blade was then dragged back towards the Reaper spliting her leg vertically right past the hoof leaving her looking like a three legged pony, blood profusely escaped the grievous wound, her screams could have shattered glass, tears rained down her face and her vision blured and distorted. She felt so dizzy, so tired... the pain began to die away as the last of her lifes blood ebbed out. She was truly on death's door. but still she fought, still she dragged her useless husk of a body towards that holy symbol, the sound of her brother laughing, the vision of her dad cutting the ribbon on their tailor shop's grand opening. the warmth of hugging her family.

These feelings, these memories, these forced her to fight, to struggle against death itself, and so she crawled, she dragged and she pulled her body over to the hunk of gold, picked it up an rolled over to her back.

The Reaper closed in again and began to raise its scythe.

Cleft had no idea if this would work but... she cast her last high quality healing spell. Her leg reattatched its two halves with a scar in its place, the holes going straight through her closed up and a decent portion of blood was restored to her veins. Her vision finally cleared and her equilibrium restored. The Reaper's scythe stopped an inche above her face.

The Grim Reaper paused... an paused... and with no warning, no subtlety, no pop, no woosh of air, it was just... gone.

The temperature in the room was back to normal as if it had never been cold, the smoke was gone, and there was no trace of the being looming over the Bard just moments before.

Cleft panted, taking in deep breaths, she... she survived... it worked...

The Pegasus dragged herself up to her hooves and limped sorely to the door, pushed it open, and walked into a rather comfortable looking room. It looked like a study, a few shelves here and there with books, a large ornate table bearing a crystal ball.

There were candles lit around the room giving it a nice comfy warm glow. Floor cushions were laying out around a magical fireplace that produced no smoke. There on one of the cusions, a pony completely concealed in cream colored robes and a hood draped over its face sat cross legged on one of the cushions.

"Oh hello there." the pony said in a reverbarating voice. "It seems like you've been through quite a harrowing, here, take a seat." The Seer patts a cusion.

Cleft limps over to it and practically colapses onto the cushion.

"My my, you poor thing, you've been through so much. So tell me young one, what is your wish?" The Seer asked.

Cleft stared up into the hood covered face with sparkling eyes, tears brimming in them again, "I want to go home. I want be with my family again."

"Ah, I see, a ticket out of Ravenloft. I'll need to get a particular brew for that, won't be but a moment." the Seer responds politely and heads off deeper into the study, rustling around through its possessions, "I know It's in here somewhere..."

Cleft stared up at the stone ceiling... so many times she'd gazed up at the night sky... and... and she'd finally see home again... finally... stars that she recognized...

"Aha! Here it is." The Seer returned to Cleft and handed her a large opal and a potion. "Just hold onto the stone, drink the elixer and focus with all your might on your home dimension."

Cleft began crying, "thank you... th-thank you so much..." she grabbed the stone and greedily drank down the potion, closing her eyes, she flashed her mind to her home, to her family, to her brother and father, to her tailor shop, to the stars she remembered.

...

...

...

And she dropped to the floor, she couldn't feel her body... her muscles completely lax, she felt as if her breath, her warmth, everything were beeing sapped away, and her hand clenched tight on the opal, refusing to let go, she felt her heartbeat slowing, she couldn't even so much as speak. Her eyes flickered over to the Seer.

The pony suddenly colapsed under the robe and a small black cat exited.

If Cleft could have contorted her face in confusion, she would have, 'a cat?' she thought.

"Not just any cat," the feline answered in a female voice as if reading her mind, "I am a Midnight Cat. You may have heard of such beings or perhaps not. But let's just say you haven't." the cat circled around Cleft's paralyzed form, pitter pattering her little paws, "I Midnight Cat is a rather unique being, and much mystery is shrouded around my kind. Little is known and even less is confirmed. But think of me as a magical cat. And unlike my more mundane cousines, I have a very special diet." the Midnight Cat walked over to Cleft's body and hopped up on her chest, sitting elegantly on her breasts, "you see young one, I don't eat rodents or fish, I don't drink milk or cream... I sustain myself solely on... well, souls."

Cleft's eyes widened in fear.

"Yes hon, I'm going to eat your soul. That crystal your holding onto is a special bauble I picked up from an old friend, a Sorcerer, I foget his name however... See, felines such as myself tend to enjoy the company of dark magic users, and there's a small few of us that can actually learn a few spells. This is incredibly rare mind you and usually we don't need such magics as we can already place curses on others with extreme ease. But it's nice to be able to polymorph no? hmhmhm. Oh yes, the opal. Normally I feed by sapping out a bit of life energy from my victims while they sleep, repeatedly feeding each night until they die. But i found a nice alterial method. This opal saps out the souls of those who hold it, and the more powerful or experienced the victim, the more energy lies within their soul. So I hide out down here, spinning tales of the great Seer granting wishes and silly little adventurers like you come down here to deliver food. Why feed a bit here and a bit there when I can have a powerful 'hero' soul all in one sitting? Oh and that elixer was a paralysis poison in case you haven't figured that out yet." The Midnight Cat hummed.

Tears welled up in the Bard's eyes.

"Oh? I'm guessing you're things something like 'but you said' or 'the stories promised' ya well, I lied. And the stories lied. All lies that I made up to lure delicious souls like yours onto my plate." The Midnight Cat pured, "and now you're thinking about home right? Your wish was to return to your home dimension. For what purpose? A lost lover? A group of friends? Miss your family? And you feel so cheated by life, that after everything you've done, after all your adventures, after all your fighting and struggling, after beating all the odds.. in the end it was all for nothing, and no... will not be going home. Why? Why does the universe torture you like this? Why is life so cruel? Why have your gods abandoned you? Why, why why."

The cat rolled her eyes, "mortals think too much. Ask too many questions. There is no rhyme or reason. Just because you have what you believe to be a just goal or you survived some harrowing trials, or even saved a city, that doesn't 'earn' you anything special. The universe doesn't decide to reward or bless ponies based on merit or their will to live, there is no greater power that rewards and punishes. Think of the Fighter that you betrayed, your lover, how much faith she put in you, how much she loved you, and you left her to die. Can you honestly say that you're a good pony who deserves a happy ending?" The cat asked tilting her head.

Cleft could answer only with more tears, her life force draining away into the opal.

"The truth is, no you don't. Nopony deserves a happy ending. There's no such thing as a hero and villain. Everypony has their goals, their desires, everypony has a reason that they belive justifies their choices. But it really doesn't matter, the world doesn't care. Bad things happen to good ponies and good things happen to bad ponies. Bad ponies are killed and good ponies are saved. The universe doesn't play favorites, it doesn't have a sense of karma or justice. What happens happens, period. Maybe you do deserve to go back home, maybe you earned a happy ending. Maybe, maybe not. But this world... it just doesn't care. Because that's how things work in the Demi-Plane of Dread." The Midnight Cat leaned in close to the mare's face as the last of her soul was sapped away, "This world is cruel and indescriminant. And we all just have to deal with it. Why? Because, it just is. The sky is blue, the sun rises and sets, and this world will screw you over without rhyme or reason. This is the world you were swept into when the mists claimed your form. This is the universe you will die within. This is a dark world, a painful world. A world where ponies betray and lie, backstab and plot just to stay alive and make it to the next day. And you were not fortunate enough to get the memo. So, sorry about that but... well..." The Midnight Cat's lips stretched into a cheshire grin, "welcome to Ravenloft."

And then the Bard died.

The Midnight Cat hopped off the mare's corpse and opened her mouth over the opal, sucking out the soul within and devouring its life energies. She licked her lips and purred, "Welcome to Ravenloft indeed."

And so ends the Adventure.

END OF CHAPTER

Character Sheet.

The main characters of this story will be the OCs of you the readers. Bear in mind that there is a very real possibility that your characters will die. It's all up to the dice. Literally. Of course, the combination of your race, class, ability scores and equipment can raise or lower your chances of survival. Generally I'd say your character probably won't die but the possibility exists, if they get poisoned and dont make the saveing throw or if they're fighting and their opponents get really high numbers on their damage dice and you get really low number, or a trap activates and you don't have the agility necessary to avoid it well... you'll end up like the three poor souls in this chapter. Ravenloft is a merciless place and perhaps more than any other D&D moduel, Ravenloft claims the most lives. Most DnD versions are built with a high rate of survival. But the old school versions like AD&D first and second editions are much more brutal and realistic. And You do end up losing a character now and then. Ravenloft also inherently is designed to kill characters as effectively as possible. Combine the two with an AD&D Ravenloft campaign... well... you read the results... However, I will play your characters as strategically as I can, but I must stay within the boundaries that you set. If you say your character is violent and hot headed then I can't make him/her think carefully about a plan of attack because it breaks the character personality that you built and I'll just have him/her charge in headlong into danger.

If your character is accepted, has a chapter and does die, you'll have first priority over other character entries to make a new character to replace the old unless you don't want to.

Each Chapter will be a new adventure set around different characters. If say I only have 7 characters at the time however, you'll probably see your character popping up in a lot of adventures. You'll be paired up randomly with other characters to form a three-pony party, and occasionally your party might team up with another one for a particularly difficult adventure. There won't be any cases in which a character only pops up for one chapter and then just dissapears from the story. I doubt I'll get more than like 8 characters at the most by the fourth chapter or so and after that people just stop sending them in. I have a lot of adventures which means a lot of chapters but based on the entries from D&P Book one, I doubt I'll manage to get even 10 characters. So odds are your character might be popping up every other chapter. Anyway, After it seems like I'm not getting any more characters sent in and I've gone through at least ten or more chapters, I'll start leading up to the grand finale in which all the characters sent in (that are still alive) will take part in the most harrowing Ravenloft adventure ever released in which the veil between the Demi-Plane of dread and the other dimensions is torn asunder and the most powerful beings in Ravenloft are set free putting the entire universe at risk. I've played through this adventure with my own party and it's long, very very very difficult, very epic, and at the end you really do feel like you've saved the world, multiple worlds actually.

Anyway, to send a character in, just fill out this form (delet the instructions obviously.) and send it to me in a PM or through a Review, which ever is easier for you. Again, based on the entries from the first story I don't expect to be drowning in characters so you'll probably have a good chance of getting accepted just for sending a character in, but that doesn't mean you can half ass it. If it looks like shit and it's obvious you didn't put any real thought into it, I won't accept it. And I understand the connection that comes with makeing a character, not just an OC but a DnD character as well, and its hard to see them die when you put so much into making them. But that's part of what makes DnD so fun, that thrill of adventure, and the true threat of danger as your hitpoints are shaved off and you realize that ya, you're character can actually die and you'll have to make a new one from scratch. But that's why you think hard about the abilities, skills, and equipment you want, plan right and your odds of sucess can be very high. After that its just up to the roll of the dice.

Lastly, you can only send in a maximum of two characters. NOT AT THE SAME TIME! If the first character is sent in, accepted, appears in a chapter, and you still want to make another one, you can send in a second character.

**FFN PEN NAME**: Your penname obviously

**NAME:** names can be single word or up to four words with suffix like da farenzie or von nicht

|**RACE**: Earth Pony- +2 strength +1 constitution, 20% magic resistance.

Pegasus- +2 dexterity +1 charisma, short term flying on the same level as an eagle, can only fly for 2 rounds (12 minutes), can also glide short distances, fighting/using magic/sneaking while flying incures penalties to defense and attack/spellcasting/stealth abilities.

Unicorn- +2 intelligence +1 wisdome, can 'blink' to short range teleport up to 5 feet but cannnot be used in battle as it requires heavy concentration, can use minor telekinesis up to 10 pounds but moves objects slowly and thus cant be used as an attack.

Note: there are no class restrictions for races unlike in D&P 1. Any race can be any class, magic works differently in Ravenloft so even Earth Ponies can be Wizards.

|**SUB**-**RACE**: Vampire- strength boosted to 18.76 if it wasnt already that high, Dex boosted to 17 if it wasnt already that high, sex appeal boosted to 21, regenerate 3 hp/round, +3 to armor class from stone-like flesh, immune to cold and illusions, immune to falling and poison damage, immune to paralysis and drownin/suffocation, do 1d6 damage with claws(two attacks), can use minor necromancy as a power, harmed by sunlight, harmed by silver and holy weapons, vulnerable to necromancy and turning, needs to feed on blood daily, can shift into mist form(repeated use risks fading into the ethereal plane and essentially dying), can see perfectly in the dark, hieghtened senses, can reconstruct body after death unless the body recieves True Death, True Death delivered from hit points reaching zero and then being purified, can be purified by fire, sun, holy water, blessing seeds, a stake in the heard plus a beheading with silver weapon, or having home coffin destroyed, can only sleep inside a designated home coffin and must keep home coffin within 100 yards at all times or risk suffering penalties to ability scores, if coffin that is designated as home by sleeping in it is destroyed the ability to reform body after death is lost, recieves minor shadow-magic powers, can walk on walls and ceiling, can glide, transform into a swarm of bats for a short time, can shift into a small noctournal predator such as a cat, bat, or owl, large bonuses to sneaking and jumping skills, gains sneaking and jumping skills if they weren't already known, can hypnotize and charm with a stare.

Lycan- shapeshift into wolf, bear, leopard, lion, panther, raven, or bat (can only choose one) as well as the half pony-half animal version at will, can regenerate 1 hp/round in pony or animal form and 3hp/round in Beast Form (hybrid shape), +2 strength, +2 dexterity, +2 constitution, +2 sex appeal, all physical stats become 19 in Beast Form, full moon triggers Beast Form and a need to kill and eat anything in sight, needs thrice the usual rations as usual and all of the rations must be meat (raw or cooked doesn't matter), gain the senses of the animal you shift into, extremely vulnerable to silver and fire, flinch and sometimes flee at the sight of large fire, harmed by wolfsbane and nightshade, Beast Form deals four attacks of 1d6 with claws (yikes) and can strike incorporeal beings such as ghosts, attacks from a Lycan in any of their forms bypass magical defenses such as barrier and shield spells, 50% magic resistance and immunity to spell levels 1-3 both arcane and clerical, immune to poison(excluding wolfsbane and nightshade)/paralysis/disease/cold/illusions, can command animals of the same species (equinewolves can command wolves and equinebears can command bears etc.), Immune to all forms of mind control, can still use weapons and armor in Beast Form (armor must be flexible enough or enchanted to stretch, also the four attacks ability extends only to using claws) but cant cast spells or use psionics.

|**CLASS**: A big change from the prequel is the freedome you now have. Classes are no longer restricted to race, ability scores, or moral alignment. Also, there are no longer any weapon restrictions, any class can use any weapon (excluding guns, some classes can use them and others can't). Armor restrictions still apply however magic users can now use light armor like leather.

Dual Wielding: Dual wielding incurs penalties to your off-hand. UNLESS your class allows dual wielding. Then you can use a smaller weapon in your off-hand without penalty but still recieve a penalty if you say, want to use two longswords. You can still do it but you won't be as accurate or hit as hard with the weapon in your off hand. The penalty for dual wielding is reduced if you have a high dexterity. Dual Wielding two small weapons like two shortswords or two hand axes or two daggers has no penalty if your class allows dual wielding.

Shields: provide extra protection added onto the defense of armor and can be used as a weapon, falls under the rules of dual wielding. Very Light and Light sheilds are treated as daggers, Medium shields are treated as maces, Heavy shields are treaded as battleaxes, and Very Heavy shields are treated as greathammers/mauls.

Guns: Some classes are capable of using guns. Guns take a full round to reload leaving the shooter vulnerable, all guns have only one shot before needing to be reloaded. Yes you can have multiple guns if and only if you can describe the holsters for them on yor body. There are three types of guns, flint lock pistols, blunderbuss shotguns, and bayonet rifles. Pistols are concealable, can be dual wielded with another pistol or a melee weapon and have medium range. Blunderbuss deal massive damage but have a very short range. Bayonet riffles deal more damage than pistols and have a very long range but are hard to maneuver and adjust aim when dealing with fast opponents or those who are at close ranges and try to move out of the way. Pistols can pistol whip as a warhammer for 1d4+1 damage, blunderbuss can melee as a mace for 1d6 damage, and bayonet rifles can stab/cut as a spear for 1d6 damage.

Armor Restrictions: If a class has Heavy, they can also use Medium, Light and Very Light armors as well. Remember, lighter armors are more flexible and less combersume as well as quieter. Heavier armors don't get damaged as easily, resist corrosion from magic better, and give you more stability against heavy impact attacks.

Very Light: Magic Robes, Leather Vest, Armored Martial Arts Gauntlets/Boots. Parry Dagger.  
>+2 armors. +1 shields.<p>

Light: Padded Cloth, Leather, Studded Leather, Hide Armor. Wooden Shields.  
>+3 armors. +1 shields.<p>

Medium: Ringmail, Brigadine, Chainmail, Splintmail. Bucklers.  
>+5 armors. +2 shields.<p>

Heavy: Scalemail, Banded Mail, Bronze Plate. Metal Shields.  
>+7 armors. +2 shields.<p>

Very Heavy: Half Plate, Field Plate, Full Platemail. Greatshields.  
>+9 armors. +3 shields.<p>

-WARRIORS

Fighter- Armor: Very Heavy. Guns: Yes. Master of arms, most basic class, and the most unambitious (you are a very lazy pony if you pick this). They hit things until they stop moving. They have no special abilities. They are the average gauge of combat ability when judging the fighting skill of other classes.

Barbarian- Armor: Heavy. Guns: Yes. Angry warriors that have more health than most and can use a berserker fit to become stronger or faster. They also can climb walls, have a bit of sneaking abilities, and can surprise attack as well as resist backstabs/assassination. And they can dual wield. They have the second highest combat prowess of all warriors. They also have a knack for spotting illusions.

Ranger- Armor: Medium. Guns: No. Skilled woodsponies, they have basic stealth, climbing, and hunting/tracking abilities. They can dual wield and at higher levels get a few druidic spells. They fight well.

Paladin- Armor: Very Heavy. Guns: No. Knights in shining armor, or horrific cultists, Paladins have good combat prowess and possess several holy/unholy powers derived from their good/evil deity, they are crusaders and at higher levels can access a few clerical spells based around healing and combat. They are also Immune to diseases and mind control.

Samurai- Armor: Medium. Guns: No. The Knights of the East, Samurai are superb warriors basing their combat around speed, acuracy, and grace reather than power and endurance. Samurai have a large resistance to fear and intimidation, they can meditate and use a few psionic abilities from the Telapathy Disciplin as well as engage in psychic duels. Samurai are cultured and disciplined but can also be ruthless killing machines especially if they are ronin. Samurai can boost their strength to 18.00 a few times a day based on thrie level for a short time. They can also dual wield.

Kensei- Armor: Very Light. Guns: Yes. The 'sword saints' don't believe in armor or shields, they prefer dodging and parrying with speed and agility. Kensei have a number of special abilities focused on utilizing their KI, but their greatest feature is that they choose one 'pefect weapon' and master it to god-like skill gaining boonuses to acuracy and damage that outweigh all other warriors. Kensei are the number one most highly skilled masters of combat far outshining every other warrior class. For them, fighting is a way of life, to become one with their weapon, to become a wepon themselves. Obviously they can dual wield, but only thier 'specialized weapon'.

Note: Kensei have a unique ability that must be noted, they can dual wield two of their specialized weapon without any penalties even if they're both normal or even large-sized weapons. This means they could dual wield two katanas or two claymores, or two greataxes, or even two halberds or two spears with no penalty. As long as the weapon can concievably be opperated with one hand. For example, pistols can obviously be used with one hand, but a bayonett rifle would be exceedingly difficult, however a Kensei could still magage it. Now something like a bow and arrow however is out of the question.  
>*************************************<p>

-WIZARDS

Magic User- Armor: Very Light. Guns: No. The generakists. Another generic over used boring class like the Fighter. Magic Users don't specialize in any one school of magic but instead study a little of everything. They don't have the expertise or the ambition for alchemy and enchanting. Not surprsingly they are terrible at combat.

Mage- Armor: Light. Guns: Yes. The masters of the arcana. Mages prefer to focus on the more philosophical aspects of magic and practice the more miscellaneous schools like Divination, Illusion, Necromancy and Abjuration. Though they do have practical spells they focus more on the versatility of magic rather than potency. Mages can also craft potion/poisions/healing salves based on their level. When they reach a high enough level they can enchant items and equipment (you do not start at a high enough level to use this ability.) They suck at combat as bad as a Magic User.

Sorcerer- Armor: Light. Guns: Yes. The masters of the primal. Sorcerers prefer to focus on the more practical aspects of magic and practice the more direct schools like Alteration, Enchantment, Evokation, and Conjuration. Though they do have miscellaneous spells they focus more on the potency of magic rather than versatility. Sorcerers can also craft potin/poison/healing salves based on their level. When they reach high enough level they can enchant items and equipment (you do not start at a high enough level to use this ability) They suck as much at combat as a Magic User.

Shadowcaster- Armor: Medium. Guns: No. User of shadow magic, Shadowcasters draw power from the demi-plane of shadows to produce supernatural effects. Alongside darkness magic, they can also wield some basic stealth abilities as per their nature. Shadow magic is not true magic, it relies on a different force altogether, thus it can bypass magic resistance. And even though most of its attacks deal shock, or cold damage, they can still harm though immune to such attacks. There are many helpful powers that they recieve as well, zero level spells that they can use as many times as they want like the shadowy arrow or the shadowport teleportation power. They fare as well in combat as a Thief.

Monk- Armor: Very Light. Guns: No. Wielder of martial arts, these skilled scholars focus on perfecting their physical energies rather than arcane. Though technically they fallow the meditation, study, and philisophical self contemplation of wizards, they do not cast spells but instead wield thei KI in place of magical energy. This is translated into thei devastating martal prowess and can fight as well as a Fighter. However, they channel their KI into their strikes allowing them to be as deadly if not moreso wth punches kicks and throws as a warrior is with a katana. Monks have a plethora of special abilities from immunities to poison/disease/fear/mind control and illusion as well as levitation, advanced meditation, astral projrction and even being able to run at super pony speeds. At higher levels they can assault opponents with upwards of five attacks in a single round, each one doing up to 4d10 damage for each attack! Not counting stat bonuses! They can speak to animals, ignore the need for sleep/hunger/food and due to their mastery over their bodies and agility they enjoy quite a few stealth abilities as well as being very hard to surprise, as they grow in skill they gain the ability to dodge so well that they end up not needing armor. Monks also enjoy a nice 20% resistance to magic. They can also dual wield.

Psion- Armor: Heavy. Guns: Yes. Yet another Wizard who does not wield standard magic, Psions perfect the energy of the mind. Moreso than any other wizard, they are true scholors mastering their brainpower unlocking the secrets of psychic abilities. Psions take mind reading, telekinesis, and mentally traveling to a whole new level. Psions literally kill their opponents with their thoughts. They can levitate knives and hurl them at an enemy, possess their body and make them commit suicide, assault their brain with psychic waves until their heads are full of brain soup, or beef their muscles up with so much mental power that the can tear their opponent limb from limb. Psiona are not immune to mind control but can turn the tables on a psychic attacker and possess their minds instead if they win a pscyhic duel. They fight as well as a Thief.

-PRIESTS

Cleric- Armor: Very Heavy. Guns: Yes. Almost as generic as a Fighter or Magic User, Clerics are the overused, unimaginative, and simplified character class of the Priest category. They have a diety, they pray to that diety and that lets them cast miracle spells. End of story. They don't fight as well as a Fighter but they are better at combat than a Thief. Clerics can also turn undead.

Just a note, all priest classes can cast healing spells, even the Necromancer.

Druid- Armor: Light. Guns: No. The priests of nature, Druids worship nature gods, or in the case of the darach, worship gods of decay. Druids can be good or evil, devoted to the birth and preservation of life, or to the natural decay and rot of life. Alongside having clerical spells, a Druid also has several powers that he/she gains as they level up such as speaking with animals, shapeshifting into any animal they wish, immunity to poisons, the ability to hibernate for a decade, and preserved youth/vigor alowing them to stay young and strong as they live for quadrupal their normal lifespan. They fight as well as a Cleric but cannot turn undead.

Crusader- Armor: Very Heavy. Guns: Yes. Crusaders are warrior priests who worship gods of war, battle, and death. Their spells are focussed around healing, protecting, augmenting, and destroying. Crusaders are righteous evangelists spreading the word of their deity through bloodshed and war. Crusaders are the only Priests who can fight as well as a Fighter. They also enjoy a nice 20% magic resistance and can turn undead.

Witch/Warlock- Armor: Medium. Guns: No. Horses of a different color, Witches and Warlocks utilize spells that focus on affecting the souls and minds of those around them. They can command animals that have a connection to the supernatural such as cats, eagles, owls, and snakes. Witches and Warlocks can be gentle doctors who spread healing and a respect for nature and the spirits reisding in it, or they can be cruel monsters spreading disease and hexes to every village they encounter. Witches and Warlocks have a unique power, The Hex, it allows them to either spread a terrible disease or cure any illness a number of times a day on par with their level. Additionally The Hex allows them to place or lift a curse once a day, the strength of the curse they lift or place as well as how many are affected depends on their level. Witches and Warlocks can make all sorts of potions/poisons/and healing salves. Witches and Warlocks fight as well as a Cleric. They can turn undead.

Necromancer- Armor: Heavy. Guns: Yes. Priests of death or life, Necromancers can be black hearted manipulators who serve only themselve or they can be compassionate gravekeepers who give families a chance to say goodbye to their loved ones in person and protect cemetaries from grave robbers. Necromancers either respect the dead as guardians and animate copses with thanks to the departed souls for leaving behind an ally or use the dead as tools and see corpses as nothing more than a meatshield allowing them to avoid risking their own lives. Either way, Necromancers possess several abilities that make them at home with the dead such as infravision, immunity to cold and death magic, and at higher levels they get the power to vampirise the life force of others through a touch draining an enemy's level to heal the Necromancer to full health. Additionally Necromancers can touch with a deathly cold in their hands that deals 1d6 cold damage alongside their punch/throw (this effect cannot be channeled into weapons or martial arts weapons, only bear handed attacks). Necromancers can reanimate a number of corpses a day equal to their level and can use this power a number of times per day equal to their level. Aside from that they access to a few priest spells that no other priest class can access. They can speak to undead as well as the long since departed regardless of language. Necromancers fight as well as Clerics but cannot turn undead, instead they can try to take control of undead.

-ROGUES

Thief- Armor: Light. Guns: Yes. Another generic class like the Fighter, Magic User, and Cleric. A Thief is viewed as the average gauge for atealth abilities. Thieves possess every single stealth ability, other than that there's nothing special about them. They aren't as good at fighting as a Cleric but they are better than Magic Users.

Assassin- Armor: Medium. Guns: Yes. Imagine fuzing a Thief and a Fighter, that's an Assassin. The stealth abilities of a Thief (granted they are two levels lower) and the combat prowess of a Fighter. Assassins also know how to mix potions and poisons. Their expertise earns them immunity to poisons through gradual expsure and they possess a very nice ability, the In-Combat Backstab. Normally a Rogue must catch an opponent unaware to backstab but an Assassin can circle behind a distracted oppent by using a smoke bomb, or crippling a leg or letting one of their allies draw the opponent's attention before popping up behind the enemy and delivering a backstab. Assassin's can Dual Wield. Assassins can also make a surprise dice roll to attack if they get the first strike in combat catching an enemy as they blink or shift their fighting stance leaving an opening for double damage.

Bard- Armor: Medium. Guns: Yes. Jacks of all trades, Bards can mix potions like wizards, cast spells like priests, use stealth like rogues and fight like a warrior. What's the catch? They will be good at all these skills... but never be great. Their stealth skills operate three levels below a Thief. Their knowledge of priest spells is restricted to that of a Druid and can never go above spell-level 3. They can fight as well as a Fighter but never gain additional attacks like the Crusader, Monk, and warrior classes.

Ninja- Armor: Very Light. Guns: No. Silent killers, Ninja have a much higher chance of killing a target quick and quiet than an Assassin, the trade off? Ninja are not very good at combat and fight as well as a Thief. However their stealth abilities related to assassination like sneaking, climbing walls, disguises, and sensing heartbeats opperate five levels above a Thief. They also possess some unique stealth abilities like shoradow vapor in which they vanish in a puff of darkness escaping from battle allowing them to run or backstab/snipe an opponent. All weapons used by a Ninja are silent. Ninja can walk/run on walls and ceilings if their hooves are touv=chin darkness. Ninjas can press their ear to the ground and sense all nearby beings that are moving even in an adjacent room. Ninjas can craft potions and poisons and have an immunity to poisons as well as mind control. They can meditdate, levitate, run across water like solid ground, jump ridiculously high, and even run through walls a couple times a day based on their level. They never suffer falling damage cand can hold their breathes for up to half an hour. Another cool power is their ability to regenrate 1 hp/round if concealed entirely in darkness. Ninjas can also make a surprise dice roll to attack if they get the first strike in combat catching an enemy as they blink or shift their fighting stance leaving an opening for double damage. Finally, Ninjas are immune to mind control, they can dual wield and have the assassin's blade skill. With this skill, if they backstab or snipe and the sneak attack isn't enough to kill the target, the Ninja can roll percent dice based on level to have their attack instantly slay the target regardless.

|**AGE**: There are bonuses associated with age, but rather than nit-picking I'll just generalize it.

18-29- you're young, agile and fit. +1 dexterity +1 constitution.

30-51- You're middle aged, strong and understanding of others. +1 strength +1 charisma.

52-80- You're old, highly experienced and very skilled. +1 Intelligence +1 wisdome

As you grow older you lose the former bonuses and gain the new ones. For example if you're 29 you have a plus one to dex and con. But if a year passes in the story then you'll be thirty and lose those bonuses, but you'll also get the new bonuses of plus one to str and cha.

|**HEIGHT**: Has no effect on stats. Must be between 5'3 and 6'5

|**PHYSIQUE**: Your muscleature, fat, and body/face shape. Remember to match this up with your stats.

|**MANE**/**TAIL COLOR**: can be two tone or all one color.

|**CUTIE MARK**: Self explanatory.

|**HOMEWORLD**: What D&D world are you originally from? Or were you from the world of Dungeons and Ponies book one? Or were you from the actual Equestria filled with friendship and harmony? Or were you born in Ravenloft?

|**GENDER**: Male, Female, or Futanary

|**RIGHT/LEFT HANDED**: One or the other, no ambi. Deal with it.

|**COAT COLOR**: Self explanatory

|**MANE/TAIL STYLE**: Self explanatory

|**EYE COLOR**: Self explanatory

|**ALIGNMENT**: Lawful good, lawful neutral, lawful evil, neutral good, neutral neutral, neutral evil, chaotic good, chaotic neutral, chaotic evil.

|**LV**: level 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10. I DO NOT CARE! This is for your benifit only. If you want to start out weak and see your character grow strong fine, if you prefer to start out strong and grow stronger fine, if you want something in between fine. I. DON'T. GIVE. A. SHIT. Choosing a higher or lower level has no impact on your character being accepted.

|**DIETY**: Any deity from any D&D world. Celestia, luna and discord are not acceptable choices.

|**ARMOR**: Magic Robes, Leather Vest, Armored Martial Arts Gauntlets/Boots. all grant a plus 2 to armor class. which one you choose is for looks

Padded Cloth, Leather, Studded Leather, Hide Armor. all grant a plus 3 to armor class. which one you choose is for looks

Ringmail, Brigadine, Chainmail, Splintmail. all grant a plus 5 to armor class. which one you choose is for looks.

Scalemail, Banded Mail, Bronze Plate. all grant plus 7 to armor class. which one you choose is for looks.

Very Heavy: Half Plate, Field Plate, Full Platemail. all grabt plus 9 to armor class. which one you choose is for looks.

|**SHIELD**: parrying daggers grabt plus one to armor class

wooden shields grant plus one to armor class

bucklers grant plus two to armor class

metal shields grant plus two to armor class

greatshields grant plus three to armor class

|**HELMET**: Mostly for asthetics. cloth hoods are very light. leather hoods are light. leather hoods layered with metal plates and leather helmets are medium. Metal helmets and coifs are heavy. full metal helms that encase the entire head are very heavy.

|**LANGUAGES**: there is common, unicorn, pegasus, earth pony, zebican, draconic, elven, dwarven, gnomish, diamond dog, griffon, minotaur, bat pony, sea pony, siren, abyssal, celestial.

You automatically know common and the language of your own race. For every two points of intelligence above 8 you can learn another language.

|**COMBAT TACTICS/STRATEGY**: A very important decision, this should be given a lot of thought taking into account your abilities, skills, stats, class, and race. Think carefully and provide backup strategies for when the main ones fail. In fact make back ups for the back ups.

|**SEXUAL AVAILABILITY**: There will be sexual content in this story. If you wish to have your character partake in sex seens and be shipped with one or more other characters then put YES. If you don't want your character to get involved romantically with others or don't want your character to have sex with anyone else's character than put NO.

|**SEXUAL ORIENTATION**: Only fill out this and the next six slots if you put YES on the previous ones. Otherwise leave these blank.

Do you prefer mares, stallions, futas, two out of three or will you fuck anypony?

|**SEXUAL PREFERENCE**: Do you like it rough, gentle, passionate, simple, loving, dirty, intense, romantic, quick, or long lasting?

|**KINKS**: What fetishes do you have that you'd like to engage in with a possible partner?

|**SEXUAL BOUNDARIES**: What limits do you have for your character? Are there certain sex acts you don't wish to perform in like anal or bondage? Are there certain kinks you refuse to participate in? Is there some personality trait for physical trait in others that makes you refuse to sleep with them?

|**COMMITMENT TO RELATIONSHIPS**: Are you commited to those you sleep with? Or is it just about satisfying each other's physical needs? Do you need there to be a connection of love or do you just want a source of physical pleasure?

|**EMOTIONAL CONNECTION TO SEX**: Do you think sex is sacred? Do you think its basic and natural? Do you get very emotional and attatched to somepony you have sex with? Do you feel absoloutely nothing for those you sleep with? Do you end up disdaining a partner after sleeping with them?

|**PERSONALITY**: This is where your creativity gets to shine, your personality and your background. They should be pretty self explaniatory. Let your imagination run wild and be thorough. (if you try tou make a cliche murderous psychopath with a tragic past who doesn't talk and refuses to open up or trust anypony then there is no way in the great mighty fuck I will accept the character.)

|**BACKGROUND**: This is where your creativity gets to shine, your personality and your background. They should be pretty self explaniatory. Let your imagination run wild and be thorough. (if you try tou make a cliche murderous psychopath with a tragic past who doesn't talk and refuses to open up or trust anypony then there is no way in the great mighty fuck I will accept the character.)

|**QUIRKS**: Strange traits or habbits

|**MENTAL ILLNESSES**: Few ponies can survive in Ravenloft for long without developing some form of insanity or another, (if you try tou make a cliche murderous psychopath with a tragic past who doesn't talk and refuses to open up or trust anypony then there is no way in the great mighty fuck I will accept the character.)

|**SCARS/TATOOS**: Self explanatory

|**DRIVE/MOTIVAITON FOR ADVENTURING/LIVING**: Self explanatory

|**ULTIMATE WISH/SECRET DESIRE**: Self explanatory

|**ENCHANTED ITEM**: You get one magic item not counting wespons. If you want armor thats enchanted to be light or quiet or magic resistant then thats the only magic item you get. otherwise you could get a magic ring or necklace or a bag of holding

|**NON WEAPON PROFICINCIES**: rudimentary skills like fishing, hunting, math, science, persuation, diplomacy, haerbalism, biology, history, survival, athletics, endurance, swimming, rock climbing (doesn't give you the climb skill), cooking, riding, crafting, smithing, fletching, sewing, stitching, seriously this list goes on and on and on. you can have up to 10 non weapon proficiencies.

|**CLOTHING**: Self explanatory, armor can also be your clothing if you wish

|**HP**: Leave Empty. Note, your class determines how many hitpoints you get per level. on average and I say AVERAGE because certain classes get more or less hit points than others inthe same category. But antway, on average, Warriors get 1-10 hp per level. Priests get 1-8 hp per level. Rogues get 1-6 hp per level. And Wizards get 1-4 hp per levels. Variations are as follows: Barbarians get 1-12. Assassins get 1-8. Crusaders get 1-10. Shadowcasters get 1-6. Ninjas get 1-4.

|**AC**: Leave blank.

**STAT POINTS**: 20. All your stats start at 10. You then modify them with your racial and age bonuses. then you can distribute twenty points among them and take away from one stat to add to another. No stat can go above 18 or below 3 (not counting a Vampire's Sex Appeal score). The exception is Strength, see below.

**STR**:10- Strength. The Measure of a character's physical might. This determines acuracy and damage dealt with melee weapons, how well you can manuever in heavier armors, and your ability to force your way through obstacles with brute strength. Also increases your carrying capacity. Strength is a unique stat in that it can go above 18. If you get this stat up to 18 and put more points into it you'll increase it by percentages, each point raises it by twenty percent, 18.20, 18.40, 18.60, etc. If you reach 18.80 and put one more point into it, then you reach 18.00 also known as Ogre Strength. You cannot go higher than 18.00 strength.

**DEX**: 10- Dexterity. The measure of your speed and agility. This determines your damage and acuracy with ranged weapons and increases your armor class with the ability to dodge. It also decreases the penalty for dual wielding if you dont have that ability. Or if you do have dual wielding you won't suffer as high a penalty for dual wielding two normal sized weapons. Those without dual wielding cannot dual wield two normal sized weapons regardless of thier dexterity.

**INT**: 10- Intelligennce. The measure of your IQ. Higher intelligence means stronger resistance to magic. Intelligence also affects how many spell-levels you can acess as a wizard class. A high intelligence lets you speak more languages and affects your perception to catch small details.

**CON**: 10- Constitution. The measure of your health and vitality. A high constitution ensures lots of hitpoints and a high resistance to all forms of physical damage from fire, cold, shock to acid, poison, and sound. Constitution alows you to run farther and fight longer before getting winded and survive lethal traps or massive-damage-injuries, it can prevent you from going into shock and increase your chances of a successful resurection.

**WIS**: 10- Wisdome. The measure of your 'inner' smarts. Wisdome increases street smarts and lets you predict outcomes from experience and gut feelings. Your intuition is more acurate with a higher Wisdom as is your resistance to curses and hexes. Wisdome also affects how many spell-levels you have access to as a Priest class. Wisdome can also increase the effectiveness of diplomacy and religious arguments you make.

**CHA**: 10- Charisma. The measure of your charm and persuasive presence. A higher charisma means you're more likely to convince others of your point of view. It also boosts your ego giving you a higher resistance to mind domination. Charisma increases the effectiveness of all forms of persuation from diplomacy to intimidation to begging and even allows you to slowly manipulate others to sharing your views and morals. A charismatic adventurer is a convincing adventurer that can almost always get their way through talking alone.

**APP**: 10- Sex Appeal. The measure of your physical beauty. This affects the first impressons of others towards you. Going into a town filled with grumpy ponies who spurn most outsiders will find themselves instantly liking you if you have a high Sex Appeal. Sex Appeal also gives you a much higher chance of succesffully seducing others. With a high Sex Appeal you can sometimes cause monsters or pony enemies to freeze up instead of attacking you, lost in your beauty.

**WEAPONS WITH HIT AND DAMAGE******************************************

You can have up to four different weapons. But you can have several of the same (such as 10 throwing knives or four pistols). Only one of these weapons can be enchanted. The one that you want enchanted should be marked with an exclamation mark ! this enchanted weapon can have one of three effects.

Effect 1, combat prowess, it will become a plus three weapon.

Effect 2, damage, it will be a plus one weapon that deals an additional two points of one elemental damage such as fire, cold, shock, bleeding, or sonic.

Effect 3, auxillery effect, It will be a plus two weapon that has a miscellaneous enchantment such as being sentient or detecting traps or acting as a torch or alerting you when a certain enemy is nearby etc.

Please detail the enchantment you want on your main weapon.

Weapon 1:

Weapon 2:

Weapon 3:

Weapon 4:

You don't need to have four different weapons, you can just have one if that's what you want. If you have multiple of one weapons just as ten throwing knives then please mark how many of that weapon your have. You must also detail where you're sheathing all these weapons on the ClOTHING section of your character sheet.

**************************************************WEAPONS WITH HIT AND DAMAGE**

**UNIQUE ABILITY**: Some strange power that you were born with, its not magical or psionic or anything like that. Just some... strange ability, like Maud's rock hurling power or Pinkie's teleporting ability, or Rarity's gem finding power, or Fluttershy's stare, or Rainbow Dash's sonic rainboom. This power should be minor and basic, nothing too strong or very useful.

**CLASS POWERS**: Leave blank.

**RACIAL POWERS**: Leave blank.

**SKILLS**: Leave blank.

**SUB-RACE POWERS**: Leave blank.

**ITEMS**: Include the method of carrying your stuff such as a backpack or a bag of holding (if you chose that as your enchanted item.) Keep in mind your strength when you decide how much you want to carry. Ten is an average strength where as 15 would mean you could break a strength related record. 17 or higher and you're a freak of nature.

**COIN**: Gold Piecces: You can have as little as 200 gold or as much as 5000 Gem Fragments: you can have as little as 20 or as much as 500 Bits: you can have as little as 2 or as much as 50

**SPELLS**: Leave blank.


	2. Jackel the Ripper

Chapter 2, Jackel the Ripper

-_She walked down that road, feeling the hairs of her coat prickle beneath her mane, the mare frowned looking around for any sign of another being only to see empty streets along the cobblestone road. It was dark, and it was quiet, and eventually... the mare simply moved on only until she crossed a corner did she stop to riddle herself, why did she feel as though she were being followed? Again she looked and again there was nopony. But when she turned to the front again, the thick bell of the clock tower chimed, and the mare screamed as the Ripper took another victim, all the while he whispered "little tart, little tart, I must drink from your blackened heart._- Excerpt from _the Secret Book of Bemnal the Fallen_

Gumomo walked down the cobblestone roads. A very tall mare standing at 6 foot 3, with a jet black coat and snow white mane and tail, styled up in noblemare bouncy curls. Violet eyes looked out over the dark landscape of Barovia. The home of Twilight Carona Sparkle the XII, Queen of Ravenloft. Gumomo was a very talented Kensei, a traveling adventurer wielding the most terrifying archery skills that a mortal pony could be capable of. A sexy busty mare at that, very curvey with large breasts and wide birthing hips, plump flanks and rump, Gumomo was the very definition of beauty; striding through the streets in a white kimono with purple spider web designs looping throughout it, the refined style had always tickled the Unicorn's fancy. Finally, she had a nice satchel which carried her personal belongings.

Around her head she wore a jeweled circlet with four violet amythests encrusting the silver around her forehead; as well, she had a magical ring around one of her fingers. A large composite longbow strapped to her torso with a very large quiver carrying up to 50 silver tipped arrows.

Gumomo hummed to herself, walking with poise and elegant gait, she observed the city of Barovia around her. An old victorian styled city with oil lanterns throughout the streets, cobblestone paved roads that caused her hooves to clip-clop against them as she walked. Wyvern drawn carriages pulled the rich and influential through the streets while others walked in fancy flamboyant clothing, mares carrying stylish umbrellas and stallions wearing top hats with canes that likely concealed rapiers or daggers... or both if the pony was clever.

Constables walked to and fro with their blue uniforms and strange hats, armed with billy clubs and flintlock pistols.

A thick fog covered most of the city as per usual. It was impossible to see the stars above unless you were atop one of the building's roofs, dank alleyways and condensation from the common rains left the cobblestone wet underhoof. And finally there were the buildings themselves, brick houses and shops, market stalls and large stone shops, ore refineries and verious textile crafters.

Gumomo stared out at the foggy streets and ruminated upon what to entertain herself with for the day.

XXXXX

Garnet snorted and spit out at the cobblestones. All the fancy ponies around him were causing a steady rise of discomfort and agitation to arise in the Barbarian. Garnet was a quiet individual, kept to himself and prefered to just go about his business alone most of the time. He didn't particularly like getting involved in things but there was the occasional pony that he grew attatched to now and again. But mostly the maroon coated stallion preffered solitude.

He shook his head flipping long straight dark brown mane out of his face. Hazzlenut eyes gazed out at the city. Garnet never liked the bigger and more... advanced cities like this. He prefered the wildlands, the small villages, fishing ports and cities that existed close to the forests, far away from 'civilized' society.

Either way, the stallion was a slim but heavily toned Earth Pony who held a surprising amoung of physical strength despite only standing at 5'6. He wore a set of scalemail armor, metal plates overlaying oneanother to form an outfit, a metal helm covered his head and a buckler was strapped to his left arm; a blood red ruby pendant with silver inlay lay hidden under his curiass; sheathed on his left waist was a broad gladius shortsword accompanied by another gladius shortsword sheathed horizontally on his lower back, and on his right side waist hung a spiked flail with the handle secured in a leather pouch. Strapped around his torso by a leather sash was his battle axe secured to his back.

The stallion snorted and looked around the dank streets for a tavern, or in this town's case a pub, he needed a drink...

XXXXX

Ariel kicked back in her seat and took another swig of brandy. This pub wasn't too shabby. It served as both a tavern and an inn which was nice.

The tall 6'1 mare clasped her hands behind her head, a silver mane and tail looped in thick elegant curls around her gorgeous features, an hourglass figures with plump extra large breasts and a smooth coat of grey fur.

Her crimson eyes stared up at the ceiling with a big grin on her face. Getting drunk was always fun for her. But, there was really only one major desire that pulled her this way and that, MONEH! Shining gold, twinkling jewels, precious treasures that just screamed 'take me!' And Ariel was more than happy to oblige the sweet little things. So lonely with no pockets to be stuffed into, poor riches... It was Ariel's duty to liberate them!

The Shadowcaster wore a set of splintmail armor and a parry-shield which was currently sitting at the foot of the table legs. Currently she had her hood down, but were it up, one would see a leather hood armored with several metal plates alont its exterior. Along one of her fingers sat a magical ring. Strapped throughout her belly and the sides of her torso were a total of ten throwing knives and a purse-like satchel which carried her belongings. Resting along a belt on her waist was a very wicked looking dagger. Ariel yawned, stretching her arms and enjoying the feeling of the armor pushing against her milk makers. The Unicorn began to drift off for a few minutes but peeked her eye open when she noticed somepony new enter the pub.

A maroon Earth Pony in medium armor and a helmet looked around at the surrounding ponies with a deliberately neutral expression. The stallion walked passed the other patrons looking for an empty table, when he didn't find one, he looked instead for a table vacant of as many ponies as possible. Thus it was that he sat down at Ariel's table.

Ariel rose an eyebrow at the new arrival before speaking up, "well hello there cutie." she winked, still leaning back in her chair.

Garnet looked over at the mare but before he could open his mouth to answer, he felt a heat rising in his chest, he rubbed it concernedly before setting his face in a stoney expression and glared up at the grey Unicorn across the table.

"What? Something on my face?" Ariel asked.

The Earth Pony's face twisted into a slight scowl, "you're evil."

Ariel barked out an obnoxious laughter, "aw, what's wrong?" she leaned in close to the Barbarian with a predatory smile, eyes filled with flirtatious tease, "you scared of bad girls?"

Garnet drew his head back slightly with a cautious expression, "no..."

Ariel licked her lips with a sultry gaze, "then proove it big boy."

Garnet's mouth dropped slightly, "you're... kinda bold..."

"I just know what I want I take it." Ariel responded.

Garnet stared into Ariel's eyes, he had a strange ability, he could sort of just... read a pony... staring into their eyes he could always guess what they were thinking. And when he ventured into what Ariel was thinking he blushed, "um... well... that's interesting..." A mix of feelings claimed him, some relaxation at confirming this wasn't some psychopathic murderer who wanted to kill him despite her evil nature, and a bit of apprehention at finding that she wanted to eat him up sexually. And quite a bit of excitement at the idea of ravishing this seductive mare.

"Oooh, arousal and pheremones, my favorite perfume." a new voice sounded, the two ponies looked up to see a black mare with silver mane take a seat at the table.

Three pairs of eyes studies one another, violet, crimson, and hazlenut. Well, they did for a while, until Ariel's eyes wondered down to Gumomo's generously well endowed chest. "Boobs..." she shook her head, "I mean hello."

Gumomo giggled. She wiggled a bit in her seat causing her breasts to jiggle, an action that Ariel much apreciated.

"so... who might you two exquesite morsels be?" Gumomo asked with a silky voice rich like honey and laced with a hind of arousal.

Ariel smiled with a drunken grin, "I'm Ariel. And who might you be, my beautiful nymph?"

Gumomo smiled back, "Gumomo, such a delightful pleasure to meet you my dear." she kissed Ariel's hand.

"OH my, such a charmer." Ariel giggled fanning herself.

Garnet watched the exchange trying to register what exactly was happening. In the end he just sighed and pretended not to care, slumping back into his seat with crossed arms.

The two mares continued to flirt with each other, growing more and more seductive as if trying to one up the other, soon they were inches away from each other with sultry gazes and caressing both body and face, whispering perverted complements.

Eventually the exchange built up a lot of arousal in both mares and the sent of their lower lips began to permeat into the area, the scent that reached Garnet and sent hormones bouncing around in his brain, looking on at the exchange of the two mares caressing and groping each other with flushed faces began rushing blood through his body to key areas. He soon crossed his legs to hide his growing erection.

The two mares then seemed to remember they weren't alone and looked back to the stallion, presseing their faces together, "oh... never caught your name either hon..." Gumomo stated.

Garnet coughed and cleared his throat, "um... Garnet..."

Ariel let out a shaky breath from her excitemnt, "well Garnet, and Gumomo, how about we get a room?"

Gumomo nipped Ariel's year, "mmm that sounds splendid." then she looked to Garnet, "you in?"

"Yes!" Garnet said a bit excitedly before coughing and calming down, "I mean, sure."

They shuffled over to the owner.

"Room please," Ariel asked, dropping some coins on the table.

The owner reeled back a bit from the heavy scent of horny mare and placed a key on the bar, "second floor, room 205." he said as he covered his nose. Some other ponies looked at the three as they shuffled up the stairs with a gaggle of giggles and cooes.

"Lucky bastard..." one of the patrons grumbled as he took another drink of his ale.

Up in the room, the three entered flailing blindly for the light switch, finally finind and turning it, the oil lamp turned on. The room was a basic room, clean with wallpaper that looked like embroidering, a clothes iron and a large bed with white sheets.

The three ponies shut the door and continued to suck each other's faces. Then they began undoing all their armor, pulling off clothing and tossing weapons across the room.

Garnet gazed at the two goddesses of beauty before him, one with jet black fur and a snow white mane, the other grey with silver hair and tail, both with perfectly sculpted bodies, lean muscles and glorious curves around their hips and rumps. And each adorning large perky tits begging to be suckled on. There the three ponies could see each other's cutie marks. Garnet had a split viking helmet with a dark red gemstone on the nose piece. Gumomo had a spider's web. And Ariel had a black heart.

It was at this point that Gumomo and Garnet both noticed Ariel's extra package. Alongside having a marehood clitoris and all, she also had a proud stallion cock above it bereft of a ball sack.

Gumomo stared in wonder at it, "oh... my... that's... that's new..."

Garnet also stared at it a bit before walking up and began fondling it making Ariel sigh in pleasure. Garnet then brought up his own throbbing cock and pressed the two tips together, jerking them both off before slidding it alonside Ariel's and caressing the two phalus organs against each other.

Gumomo licked her lips at the sight and ran her hands up both pony's backs.

Garnet finally pulled away and looked back at the two mares, noticing their height, he looked down, "I feel short..."

The two Unicorns giggled and suddenly Garnet's world was smothered by mounds of black and grey, the two mares smooshing their large breasts around his head forming a warm-hot squishy prison of paradise. Garnet moaned and began to drool between the pairs of boobs as his penis twitched with excitement directing a burning need to plunge into these mare's orifices. He reached his hands around and grabbed both mare's fleshy asses, strange how they could be so soft yet firm at the same time, but either way they felt amazing between his fingers, he pressed his waist close and pushed his throbing meet between the mare's outter thighs, shuddering at the heat and pressure of their flanks.

Reluctantly he pulled away and began to suckle on Grumomo's nipple, surprised to find actual milk inside. Soon Ariel joined on on Gumomo's other breast and the Kensei cooed as she rubbed the heads of both ponies lovingly as they fed upon her milk-sacks. Gumomo's milk was sweet and heated, and it left a comfy warm drunken feeling in Ariel and Garnet's tummies like glass of rum. They both pulled off the delicious taps and each hic-upped a bit with stupid grins on their faces.

Gumomo then guided the two enthralled ponies over to the bed and layed Ariel down on her back with her legs hanging over the bed, "I saw how much you admired my tits honey, so here's a little present." the violet eyes mare spoke in her tantilizing voice of honey and sex, she knelt down next to the bed and wrapped her large boobs around Ariel's rock hard cock, squishing them around the stick of meat, encasing it in a fleshy embrace of heat and cozy softness from Gumomo's downy fur.

Ariel groaned and drew in a breath as Gumomo began massaging her meat with those giant beautiful breasts. Garnet began drooling a bit, and clambered onto the bed, crawling over to Ariel's twitching member, he opened his mouth and completely enveloped the tip and what little of the shaft that wasn't swallowed up by Gumomo's tits.

Ariel gasped and panted, arms reaching out and hands clawing at the sheets as those warm breasts and hot wet mouth serviced her dick. It wasn't long before the ministrations of the two ponies threw her control out the window and she bucked her hips up spraying her load of femjiz into Garnet's mouth, he greedily swallowed each spurt of the white ropes shooting from the flared tip.

Gumomo hmmed in pleasure as she felt Ariel's cock twitching violently and puslating heavily from the orgasm, the ropes of cum shooting through the shaft vibrated along her breasts. Ariel went limp on the matress with swet accumulating around her head, "that was fucking awesome..."

Next, Gumomo lay Garnet down on his back next to Ariel as he finished licking the cum off of Gumomo's tits; then the mare straddled the stallion reverse-cowpony style and sat herself down on his member, feeling it fill up her pussy, "aahhhh, there we go..." Gumomo hummed and lay back ontop of Garnet who wrapped his arms around her torso and hugged her tight as he nestled his face into her back and began thrustin up into her core.

Gumomo squeaked in delight and felt Garnet wrap his legs around hers, thrusting violently up into her burning cunt, the piston of a very aroused stallionhood pumping in and out of her made Gumomo scream in approval. Ariel rolled over to her side and smiled as she propped her head up on one hand while using the other to massage her folds, running her fingers along her lower lips and teasing her clit as she watched Garnet fuck Gumomo with reckless abandon, fuled by pure lust egged on by the two mare's teasing; he grasped hold of Gumomo's breasts and squished them between his fingers, massaging them in circles while bucking up into the black mare's cunt.

The display was causing Ariel's cock to harden again, and the pistoning action was making her own marehood jealous.

Finally, Garnet thrusted up one last time and blasted load after load into Gumomo's love tunnel filling it up and spurting excess out around his dick coating her thighs and rump in thick milky cream.

Gumomo sighed in satisfaciton, but she wasn't done yet, she sat up, rose off of Garnet's dick leaving a string of shiny juices connecting them, turned around, and shufled up to Garnet's chest before sitting on his face, shoving her abused pussy right into his mouth.

Garnet ran his hands up her lower back and squezed her flanks as he darted his tongue inside her, tasting both his own cum and her juices. The intoxicating flavor made his limping dick twittch a few times.

Ariel watched the scene with a now panting expression, she ran a series of kisses down Garnet's maroon body, nipping at his stomach before coming to his slickened dick, which after a minute of break time was now hardening again at the act of eating Gumomo out.

Ariel's mouth watered, she wanted to start sucking it but instead positioned herself above it and sat down cow-pony style facing Gumomo's back; an then she lowered feeling both Gumoom's juices and Garnet's cum slicken her insides. Feeling both mare and stallion inside her was amazing, their slick orgasm allowed Garnet's dick to slide through her as if it were covered in oil. This was pure fucking ecstacy. Sloppy seconds turned out to be very very pleasurable. Ariel braced her hands on Garnet's stomach and began hopped up and down on his waist.

Gumomo massaged her own breasts as she grinded her hips into Garnet's mouth, leaking orgasm after orgasm, draining juices into his throat while he played with her rump like it was clay, mashing her butt cheeks around and squeezing her flanks. She gasped as she felt Ariel chomp onto her tail and began pulling on it making the Kensei squeak and cum yet again.

Garnet couldn't think, his mind was hazy with the liqour-like juices form Gumomo's cunt and the wonderful service he was recieving from Ariel's burning pussy as the Shadowcaster rode him like there was no tomorrow.

Finally, there was a blast of orgasms all around, Gumomo shot another burst of juices into Garnet's mouth as he came into Ariel's cunt, letting her burst her own cout of femjizz as well as blast out anotehr load from her cock all over Gumomo's back.

The two mares collapsed onto their side leaving Garnet panting on his back with a sopping wet face and waist.

They took a break to regain their stamina before going again. It was going to be a very long night.

XXXXX

"Mnnnghhh..." Ariel mumbled and brought her hand to her head. A throbbing pain accompanied her. "Great... fucking hangover... ugh... how drunk did I get last night?" She shuffled a bit to find that she was cuddling somepony, she looked over and saw a mare and a stallion snoozing away. "... very drunk then... OK..." Ariel grumbled and shuffled out from the pony's grasp before attempting to get off the bed. All that she succeeded in however was falling off it, "FUCK!" she cursed as she hit the floor.

"Agh, gods damnit... geeze..." she stood up on wobbly legs, "shit, I feel like gelaton... must've gotten my brains fucked out..." Ariel limped over to one of the doors leading towards a washroom and nearly collapsed, "fuck my tits... ugh." she dragged herself back up just as the other two ponies began to stirr.

Garnet yawned loudly and stretched cracking several joints before sitting up with a messy bedhead of mane, he smacked his lips a few times, "mmm... damn I'm hungry..."

Then Gumomo awoke, she groaned as she got up from the bed, "oh my... my whole body is sore... especially my tits..." she looked back at the groggy stallion and the mare who was having a hard time standing up, "ah... that would explain it..." She yawned and looked over to the desks, completely covered in empty water pitures. "wow... we had a pretty exciting night... and got very dehydrated during it apparently."

Ariel gave up trying to stand and plopped back onto the bed, "I have to piss but I can't make it to the bathroom... fuck my life..."

It was then that the three realized they were all completely covered in dried mare juices, cum stains, and crusty fur hardened from heavy amounts of dried sweat. The room didn't smell particularly fresh either.

Garnet smiled, "s'good night..." then he frowned and looked around, "I hate to be the asshole that brings this up but, about last night... I mean..."

Gumomo poured some of the remaining water into a cup, "it's nothing, just three horny ponies having fun, that's all."

Garnet sighed in relief, "Ok, good..."

Ariel stared up at the ceiling, "I don't think anypony's in the condition to go out and about... so I vote we order a bunch of food and sleep until our bodies don't feel like rubber."

"Sounds good to me." Garnet said as he lay back down on his back.

Gumomo downed the cup of water, "it would be nice to just be lazy for a day..."

And so they did. Garnet got some food from the pub and the three ate befoer passing out again on the bed.

Hours passed until they were up again, each got cleaned up and dressed.

By the time the three left, it was once again night.

"So, do you two live here are were you just passing through?" Ariel asks.

Gumomo clasps her hands behind her back, "Oh I'm a traveling merchant, I make my way around the world selling outfits that I make."

"Really?" Ariel asks with piqued interest, "what kinds do you make?"

Gumomo smiled with pride and stuck her nose in the air in a posh manner, "the best silk dresses and suits Ravenloft has ever seen. The most elegant outfits sewen from the finest of spidersilks. The fabrics are soft as a pegasus foal's feathers but as tough as enchanted leather armor. Extremely flexible and breathes as if you weren't weraing anything."

"Wow..." Ariel said, "You must make a shit-load."

Gumomo smirked, "it is a profitable venture I must say. What about you?"

Ariel gave a cheeky grin, "I'm an adventurer, I like taking on odd jobs that involve dungeon delving and what not, I'm drawn to shiny objects and there's always some magical items, gold, or jewels just waiting in some hidden treasure room or another."

Garnet chuckled softly, "Somehow that fits you perfectly."

"What about you Garnet?" Gumomo asked.

Garnet looked up at the foggy sky with a calm expression, "I'm a mercenary. I usually take on contracts to fight off bandits, protect mining expeditions, or escort caravans across Equestria."

The three continued to talk amongst themselves until they hear the large bell of the town chimb with a series of bongs. Then a shrill scream pierced the air. Their ears flicked at the sound and they headed towards the noise, along the way they heard the scream get cut short with a gurgle. As they near, Garnet can feel his amulet heating up at the presence of more evil. They round the corner to find a mare lying in the alley in a pool of her own blood, a cloaked figure stands above her, it rises, large and strong with a black cloak and a top hat. The being slowly rises and looks at the three ponies with blood smeared on his maw, cheweing a bit on a bit on a chunk of the mare's skin, blood splattered over his face conceals the color of his coat; but fereal yellow eyes stare out with an insane intensity. The stallion slowly pulls out a wicked curved dagger with ornate desgigns out of the mare's torso, the handguard looks like a Vampire's skull and teeth, the handle is oval with a jeweled pomel.

As soon as Garnet begins to reach for his flail, the stallion back flips with unnatural strength leaping 20 feet into the air and landing far away from the alley onto a carriage before dexterously swinging his body down through an open door.

The three ponies rush after the murderer and see a driver of the carriage also concealed in a cloak and tophat, he looks back and Ariel glimpses a long brooding face of a white stallion before he cracks his whip on the Wyverns and the cariage races off into the fog.

"Oh ho ho ho! No-you-don't!" Gumomo says as she draws her bow and knocks an arrow.

"Are you sure you can hit him?" Garnet asks, "they're at least 30 feet away with mist cover..."

Gumomo laughs, "Please, watch the proffesional." with a sing of a bow sring, an arrow sails through the air. The driver's ears perk at the sound and looks back to see a silver tipped projectile racing straight at his head, he yelps and moves his head just enough for the arrow to miss his skull and instead slice right through the left side of his face leaving a nasty gash opening up a very wide smile on him with blood dripping down. The stallion yells at the searing pain of severed skin but keeps driving the carriage regardless.

Gumomo grumbles, "lucky dodge..." She sighs and puts her bow away. Garnet looks back at the alleyway, he head over to the dead mare and inspects her body, "shit... throat sliced open from ear to ear forming a second smile... her body looks like most of her bones were shattered into dust... face is completely horror striken... and there's chunks of her missing with teeth marks, fucking sicko..." he sighs and stands up rubbing his forhead.

Ariel walks over, "looks like she's in her early twenties... hang on," the Shadowcaster kneels down and looks carefully at the body, "... there's not enough blood here... most of it's been removed or drained..."

Gumomo looks around and notices all the doors are shut, all the windows are shuttered and barred... interesting...

A slamming of a door is heared and ponies come rushing out from the pub they had just left. Several hoof steps stop as citizens spot the ruesom scene. A few screams and gags can be heard. But Garnet's ears flicker at the phrase "It's happening again..." muttered a few times.

Five figures stride out of the fog towards the murder scene. Gumomo, Ariel, and Garnet turn to see a young white stallion with a blue mane and azure eyes wearing half-plate armor and a constable's police uniform with a flintlock pistol and broadsword on his tool belt with a metal kite shield strapped to his back. He also has stitches up the side of his left cheek; behind him four police mares are following.

The stallion steps forward, his features would probably have made him hansome once, before the blow that smashed his nose in distorting the shape of his muzzle and leaving a scar across his face as if an axe blade were hacked right at his nose. "well... this is a bit of a new sight... the culprits lingering around..."

"Are you retarted?" Gumomo asks immediately with an unamused expression, the constable is about to retort when Gumomo locks eyes with him, glaring into his soul with dominance and authority, she strides up to him, "why would the murderer stay around and wait for authorities to show up? Are you completely bereft of so much as a hint of intelligence in that pea-sized brain of yours?"

The stallion backed up as Gumomo advanced on him, he suddenly felt like a little foal getting yelled at by his mother. "First off, why would three ponies be needed to kill one unarmed mare? Beyond that, do you see any blood on us, or on our weapons?"

The stallion was now sputtering out incoherently. "Exactly. So don't jump on assumptions like an illeterate asshole." Finally Gumomo released him and walked back to the other two adventurers.

Ariel stared at the Kensei, "I wanna fuck you so hard right now..."

The stallion finally recovered with a blush of embarassment, "a-ahem right, w-well... it seems we shouldn't jump to conclusions without any proof..."

Some of the policemares giggled through their noses in snorts as they tried to keep neutral expressions.

"Right," The stallion cleared his throat, "I am guard-captain Shining Armor. Chief Constable of Barovia by Queen Twilight's grace. We are now investigating a murder by Jackel the Ripper."

Garnet rose an eyebrow, "if he's already got a name for the papers then this has happened a few times before hasn't it?"

Shining looks down with a forlorn expression, "unfortunately... Jackel the Ripper has been plaguing Barovia since... well, as far back as our records go. He's always gone about striking fear into Barovia, once every 13 years like clockwork..." He looks at the butchered mare, "a series of ponies are brutally murdered... we don't know why, or how he's lived this long, maybe he's immortal or maybe its a cult with a different Jackel elected every decade... we've been tracking him for countless generations. I've been trying to catch this bastard my entire career. But it's like he's always ten steps ahead of us."

Ariel rubs her chin, "nopony has ever seen the Ripper I'm guessing?"

"No, we've had a few claims but with conflicting descriptions." Shining shakes hi head.

"Well.." Gumomo says, "we did get a quick look at him before he fled, however blood was smeared all over his face rendering any form of identidfication through visuals quite null I'm afraid. He does have have yellow eyes though. And the dagger he had was very unique, it looked custom."

Shining looks surprised, "you're the only ones to ever survive a direct encounter with the Jackel! Unfortunately that also means you're a big threat to his activities... which means he'll probably target you three specifically..."

Ariel snorted with a smirk and crossed her arms, "we can handle ourselves."

"I hope so... some of the bodies we've found... the raw strength and savage brutatiliy needed to inflict some of the wounds..." Shining shuddered.

The three Adventurers nod.

"Well, if you could help out, it might make all the difference to have a few more investigators searching for leads." Shining offered.

Garnet looked back at the broken mare, there was no way his concience would allow him to walk away while countless more innocents could end up like that, "I'm in." the Barbarian said with firm nod.

Gumomo clasped her hands behind her head, weighing her options; she had no real incentive to help but... That asshole on the carriage made her miss... that was an insult to her skill. Additionally, stopping a possibly immortal serial killer would bring immeasurable adoration and reverence from Barovia's citizens, love and respect were definitely good reasons to head into danger. "Oh, I suppose I'll lend aid as well."

Ariel snorted, "is there a reward for taking him down?"

Shining glared at her, "Are you serious? Ponie's lives are at stake!"

"Hey, chill the fuck out, not everypony is a wondering hero who'll risk getting their ass killed just to save a bunch of noponies they've never met before, there's only one good reason for me to stick my neck out and that's coin. Preferably lots of coin." Ariel responded with crossed arms.

Shining grumbled in disgust, "yes, there's a large bounty on the Ripper's head."

"Alright then, I'm in. Just a simple yes or no would have sufficed, sheesh." Ariel huffed.

"Ugh... I hereby debutize you three into the Barovia town guard." Shining said before leaving.

Garnet glared over at Ariel, "what was that about?"

Ariel shrugged, "ethics are stupid and pointless, they just hold you back and give your enemies a way to control you. Plus, risking your life for no reward is just stupid."

Garnet ground his teeth, "it's not stupid if your saving ponies' lives!"

"Whatever." Ariel said with an indifferent shrug.

"I knew you were evil..." Garnet mumbled to himself.

"Ya well you weren't complaining last night~" Ariel sang out sweetly.

Garnet just put on a neutral face and didn't respond, he walked on as if he couldn't care less.

Gumomo, Ariel, and Garnet searched around the pub for inquiries. What they discovered was the cyclic nature of the crimes. Indeed, every thirteen years, a series of murders by Jackel the Ripper.

There the Adventurers asked about the particular name for the news press.

"He earned the name from the viciousness of his murders. He tears his victims apart like a wild jackel. And no matter the brutality involved, he always finishes by ripping their throats open with a knife.

As they leave the pub, looking around for any other witnesses or ponies who might have information Garnet feels hairs prickle at the back of his neck. His amulet heats up and and that primal sense of being ambushed tells him to whip around and catch a dagger that would have plunged into his back, grabbing the assassin's wrist and crushing the bones within. The assailant yelps and tries to back up but Garnet has him locket in an iron grip; the Barbarian growls in a low threatening rumble before yanking the attacker towards him and slamming his skull into the attacker's muzzle busting the assailant's nose, then slugging him in the stomach with his free hand and finally releasing him while thrusting a kick into the attacker's diaphram knocking him back several feet.

The being lands on the ground and spits out blood drizzling down from his nose into the back of his throat. He shakily stands up and the three Adventurers reckognize the stallion as the stagecoach driver that Gumomo shot, still bearing the large slash across his face from the arrow now bandaged up with blood stained bindings. Although the gash looks as if it had been cleaned and treated, even slightly healed by a small portion.

"Well, look who's back." Gumomo smirked as she drew her bow.

The driver switched the dagger into his undamaged hand and backed away with bloody snot dripping down his maw, "Youghr messhing in ashairs kat are none ofzz youghr conshern! (you're meddling in affiars that are none of your concern)" He shouted through his split lips, drool and blood seeping out of the gash in his face, "you hash all feen markesh fer deash! (you have all been marked for death)" With that, he pulled out a smoke bomb and launched it at the ground as Gumomo knocked an arrow.

Ariel grabbed the arrow and muttered some incomprehencible words casting Arrow of Dusk, darkness began swirling around the arrow until flames of shadow licked around the shaft and arrowhead.

Gumomo's vision was blocked from the smoke but had a good idea of where the driver's body was, she loosed the enchanted arrow and it soared through the air with a tail of darkness behind it before making a 'shluck' sound accompanied by the driver screaming in pain "AAAAAHH FUUUUUUCK!"

The smoke finally cleared and the Adventurers were able to just barely see him fleeing around a corner, they gave chase but when they turned into the alley he was gone.

Ariel looked up and just barely spotted the stallion climbing over the edge of one of the building's roofs. "up there!"

Gumomo strapped her bow back around her torso and leapt onto a wall, then she sailed up the wall like spider as if gravity were non existent. Garnet took a huge jump and lunged up six feet before grabbing onto the wall and began skillfully climbing up the wall while Ariel sat down and crossed her legs, then began levitating up.

Gumomo hopped over the roof and drew her bow, the fog was thick and she could just barely make out the sillohette of the driver and drew another arrow, she taught the string on the bow and breathed out slowly while focusing her sight. FTHEW. The arrow cut through the fog across two buildings.

The Driver leapt over another building top, wincing as the arrow in his shoulder pressed against the torn muscles, but at least he got aw-shthunk! "GAAAHHH DAMN IT!" He fell to the roof and craddled his belly, another arrow stuck right through his lower back and out his stomach area. He could feel the stomach acid pouring out into the organs around it and his vision was getting hazy; he limped over to the roof's edge and hurled himself off, crashing down into a closed market stall smashing through the wood; getting up he limped away focusing all his energy on remaining concious.

Gumomo lowered her bow with a hum.

"How did you do that?" Garnet asked as he reached the top of the roof, "I've never seen anypony climb that fast or easily."

Gumomo shrugged, "its a gift."

Soon Ariel joined them, "did he get away?"

"If he did he won't last long." Gumomo replied, "I saw one arrow in his shoulder and I'm positive that I just hit his torso. If he is indeed still among the living he soon won't be without immediate surgery or magical healing."

Ariel grabbed her chin with one hand and rested her elbow in the other in a pensive stance, "Remember what Shining said about a possible cult? There might be a lot of stock in that. Serial killers don't normally have devoted get-away drivers unless they're part of at least a small group of psychopaths or fanatics that sacrifice ponies."

Garnet scratched his nose, "A cult working behind the scenes would help a killer last as long as Jackel has, but even the most well outfited organizations couldn't last for centuries without slipping up now and again... I feel like there's something really big going on, and this is all just a tiny piece..."

Gumomo sighed, "either way, there's naught else to be garnered tonight. At least we sent a small message."

Ariel rose an eyebrow.

"If that peasant does survive those wounds, his compatriats will be aware of just how dangerous their new enemies are. And I don't intend to give up or be outsmarted; any who stand against me will find a very unpleasant destination at the end of their journey. Espeically if they try to mock me with pathetic threats and incompetent assassination attempts." Gumomo harumphed.

XXXXX

The next night...

The city was blocked off. All leaves and visits were canceled. The gates ro the city were closed and families boarded themselves inside their homes, barricading the doors and nailing boards over the windows. The meek barred every door in their house and hid under beds or inside closets while the bold locked themselves in a one window room with eyes trained on the door, improvised clubs or old rusted hunting blunderbus shotguns in hand.

Constables were lining the streets with whistles in hand ready to signal at the meerest sight of the murderer. And as the clock made its way towards midnight, the Adventurers scanned the streets with weapons drawn.

Gumomo had her bow out with an arrow resting against the string, Ariel had her dagger drawn in her right hand and darkness swirling around her parry-shield carrying left hand ready to loose a spell. Garnet was following behind walking backwards watching their rear with his flail and buckler at the ready.

The the giant clock tower ticked on. The streets were foggy and silent.

And as midnight approached, everypony in Barovia held their breath with hairs of their coats standing on end.

The city had prepared its own series of strange implements to help alert others and trap the murderer. As the murders tending to commonly be aimed at mares, the ladies of the city wore padded metal collars to protect their throats from slashing. The guards wore boots and cloaks of elvenkind to allow them to sneak up on the murderer, unfortunately only a few of these were available. Magic Mouth was enchanted on many dark alleyways to shout "ALARM! CALL THE GUARDS!" if anypony came within 30 feet wielding a sharp object.

Many citizens had bells on them bought from street vendors to loudly signal if they were in danger. And finally the mechanic's guild and the mage's guild worked together to forge a Tin Golem duisguised by magic as a beautiful mare; programmed to kill anypony that attacks it with a knife. Unfortunatley the loud clunking of metal hooves and creaking of gears from the rusting of the fog made it easy to spot as anything but an ordinary mare.

The Adventurers make their way through foggy streets, occasionally coming across a police mare or constable stallion. Then they hear a shrill scream followed by the ringing of a bell. Gumomo, Ariel, and Garnet sprint off towards the sound to find a terrified mare in a bodice dress wearing a metal collar on the ground. Looking around they see a slim figure sprinting off the alleyway carrying a coinpurse.

A constable stallion and policemare also arrive. "Damn thieves... you'd think they would have the decency to lay off for one fucking night." The policemare grumbles.

Ariel's face takes on an expression of 'are you kidding me?'

"Well that was a waste-" Garnet says before a voice cries out nearby, a stallions voice shouting "Murder! Murder! Come and s-see the Murder!" the voice sounded a bit slurred. The Adventurers, constable, and policemare rush over to the noice to find a drunk stallion holding a squished rat, "ish murdered! I killed it!"

Gumomo facepalmed. The drunk stumbles a bit before falling over on his face and starts snoring.

The Constable begins gently banging his head on the wall of the alley, "I can't belive I live in this town..."

Another shrill scream sounded out followed by the thud of a body hitting the ground. All ponies in the alley looked at eachother with alarm and ran across the street into the source of the noice. There they found an unconcious pony muttering to herself 'monster... monster...' Next to her they see the Tin Golem walking with jerky movements through the alley.

The policemare's face turns red as her mouth scrunches, "THIS CITY IS FULL OF DOLTS!"

The next hour passed without incident and the Adventurers were sitting in front of a closed shop with the constable and policemare drinking bottles of hard cider that somepony left out for the guards.

The clock chimes for midgnight Bong... Bong... Bong...

The bell rings out its loud vibrating hum through the city. Ariel was about to down her bottle and nod off when the shrill pierce of a whistle ripped through the air. Everypony jumped at the sudden noise and headed over to the alarm.

The Adventurers and guards arrived to find a constable blowing his whistle; around him were two more constables and a policemare. Laying out in the street in front of a butcher shop was a dead mare. A few feet away they see a metal colar laying discarded as if it were ripped off and tossed away. The mare is lying on her back, throat sliced open ear to ear just like the last victim. There are several large holes carved into her body from which organs have been harvested.

A few of the guards turn to vomit in the street while others are trembling in horror. Garnet looks around the body, "precise cuts... almost surgical... and again there's not nearly enough blood either in or around the body..."

"Who was she?" Gumomo asked.

"Blooming Rose..." one of the constables said sadly, "just like Lilly Petal..."

"Who?" Ariel asked.

"Lilly Petal was the mare who was killed yesterday. They were both... um... well, they were both prostitutes. The Ripper usually targets tarts." The constable responded.

Shining Armor arived on the scene not long after, "oh jeeze... " he covered his mouth, "damn it..." he sighs, "organs removed... knowledge of pony anatomy and biology... killer could be a butcher maybe."

Gumomo crosses her arms, "or a physician. Surgeons would have pleanty of knowledge on how the body works and the knife skills to pull this off... or a specialist soldier who performed more covert missions."

Garnet stood up from inspecting the body, "maybe an undertaker? They'd have pleanty of bodies to practice on."

Ariel looked around the foggy street, "they were fast too... ran in, killed her, harvested organs and got out before a guard came around; and out in the open too. He's got a big ego to have that kind of confidence in his skill and speed."

Gumomo notices that the stitches on Shining's cheek is gone and he now walks with a slight limp. She cocks an eyebrow at this but doesn't say anything.

XXXXX

The next night...

The Adventurers were patrolling the alleys yet again as the time grew close to midngight as the murderer seemed to prefer taking a victim during the clock tower's chimes.

As they wait for the bell to ring, they hear a mare scream, "HELP! HE'S AFTER ME!" The Adventerurs turn to see a mare stumbling out of an alleyway cluctching her bleeding belly. Immediately they trush over as they hear "Little lassie, little lassie... come here, come here~" sung out from a male voice.

The Adventurers run to the alleyway and the mare stumbles over to Garnet, slumping against him, he catches her fall.

The mare pants for a few moments before stopping, a hairpin slips from her hand exposing five inches of the needle before she jams it into Garnet's unprotected armpit.

"GAH!" He instictively grabs the mare and slams his knee up into her stomach before drawing back and uppercutting her sending flying a foot into the air and sailing back several feet to slam into the cobblestone.

Garnet backed up a few steps and dropped his flail. "F-fuck..." his vision became hazy, "poison..."

The mare scuttled back up and darted off into the alley. Before the other two ponies could give chase, a stallion rushed out of the alley with two daggers. Gumomo's senses just barely kick in and a rush of adrenalin shouts in a deafing roar in her mind to move. The mare darts to the side just in time to avoide a backstab from the stagecoach driver, his face now completely healed as well as his belly and shoulder. The stallion is also armed with two daggers and is now wearing leather armor.

Garnet stumbles a bit from the poison but feels his metabolism burning it away and filtering it through his system like alchohol. His body finally restabiilizes and he draws one of his gladius swords.

The strange stallion twirled around towards Ariel with his daggers, Ariel dodged two of the strikes, one bounced off her armor but the fourth bit into her arm, but bearly left a scratch. Ariel summoned up shadows around her hand and thrust it out a foot away from the stallion casting Umbral Touch, a burst of black fire shrouded his body and the stallion screamed in pain before falling to the ground with cold singe marks as if fire as cold as ice had raptured his body. He didn't get back up.

Gumomo moved in towards the Driver and caught his next attack, guiding it around in an elaborate dance before ending with the stallion on the garound and his arm trapped behind his head. Before he could attack with his free arm, Gumomo disarmed the hand she had trapped and hopped away from the strike now holding one of his daggers.

The stallion scuttled up to his hooves with his dagger and prepared to attack when Garnet slammed into him like bull, impaling him stright throuh his diaphram with his gladius in a critical hit dealing massive damage to his vital organs. The energy of the impact sent the stallion flying off the shortsword and back into the wall of a building; crashing upon the brick with a sputter of blood form his mouth, he slid down the bricks with a red trail above him.

The stallion grunted and stood up using the wall for support. Gumomo hurled the dagger like a throwing knife at the stallion who barely moved in time to avoid the projectile which clanged as it hit the wall inches away from his head.

The stallion threw another smoke bomb and fled. As the Adventurers began to run after him, loud bangs sounded out and they hopped back as sparks hit the cobblestone. Looking up to the roof of the nearby building they saw a few cloaked ponies with flintlock pistols and beyonet rifles. They began reloading as the Driver fled.

"Shit, we're sitting ducks." Ariel said before running off into the alleyway that assassin mare had come from. Garnet ripped the hairpin out of his armpit and joined Ariel while Gumomo let loose an arrow at one of the gunponies piercing his throat causing him to clutch his bleeding neck before falling off the building, Then Gumomo ran off around the alley as well.

In their they found the assassin mare from earlier, dead on the ground, strangled. As they heard shuffling, the ponies turned to see the gunponies landing off the roof with pegasus wings softening their fall, they crowded around the stallion who had rushed out of the alley with the daggers and picked up his corpse before running off. Gumomo narrowed her eyes, most of the dead stallion was obscured by fog and and the gunponies but something looked off about it. Oh well.

After a few minutes the Adventurers left the alleyway and heard the bell chiming. "Shit..." Ariel breathed, "this was just a distraction..."

They saw a commotion down the block and ran over to see constables and policemares around a different alleyway. A prostitute was their with her hands covered in blood and sobbing, "P-pink Blossom... I-I only left her for a minute..."

Gumomo sighes, then looks to Garnet, "are you alright?"

Garnet cracks his shoulder, "ya, my matabolism brok the toxin down. Still hurt though, but I'll be OK."

Gumomo then looks over to the guards and notices Shining Armor, leaning against a wall with crossed arms, he looks paler than usual with dark circles under his eyes and sweat matting his mane. the Kensei also notices his legs are every so slightly wobbling as if it were a bit hard to stand. Gumomo's eyes slowly narrow to slits while her mouth becomes a thin line, "hmmm..." But rather than going to investigate she pauses, looking town at her hoof she sees a bit of fabric stuck to it from the dampness of the cobblestone, a bit of the Driver's cape torn off during the battle. Picking it up she inspects the material, a common low quality linen... but it also bears an embroidery of the tailor's mark in it. Smiling, Gumomo puts the cloth away, looks like they finally have a lead.

XXXXX

The next day, the Adventurers went around town while Gumomo asked about the tailor's mark. They were directed to the seamstress Iron Rung.

The three ponies enter her shop and the ring of the door bell signals their arrival.

"Hello?" A voice calls out. Iron walks around the counter, "oh hello there, what can I do for you?"

Gumomo held up the cloth, "would this be your work?"

Iron took the swatch and looked it over, "oh yes, I made this... hmm... a while ago actually, looks like its been through a lot of abuse."

Ariel wondered around the store, "do you keep track of your clients in a record book by any chance?"

Iron cocked an eyebrow, "I may... but customers do prefer confidentiality."

Garnet glared at her, "ponies are dying, are you really that greedy?"

"ponies die all the time." Iron waved her hand, "but the world still goes on."

The Earth Pony thought about threatening the information out of the mare but Ariel barked out a laugh, "now there's a pony who gets it." she walked over and held out two gold pieces, "and money is what makes the world go round."

"Exactly." Iron smiled and took the coins and fishes out a list from her desk filled with recent clients over the past few months.

An hour passed as the three looked through the lists, wondering through the town as the day passed by. Then they heard Iron calling out to them, "a guard just came into my shop to have a cloak repaired, 'just doing the boss a favor' he said. It was missing a swatch by the corner and it matches the piece you gave me perfectly.

The Adventurer's eyes widened. They hurried towards the police headquarters.

XXXXX

The three arrived at the police station and searched around for any guards who had just returned from the seamstress. AS they looked, an inspector entered the building and headed over to the jail cells to throw in a pickpocket. However as he searched his pockets he cursed, "Lost the key again... " he looked over to the Adventurers, "I don't suppose you could do me a favor. Shining hates it when we go into his office but its the only place he keeps the spare cell keys. And he can't really get mad at me if you were the ones to get it. Since you don't work for him he can't stick you with the midnight shift in the boneyard."

Ariel shrugs and walks into the office and freezes as she sees the cloak on the chair, along with a sewing kit. "Fuck my tits..."

Gumomo walks over and her faces takes on a stone neutral expression, "I knew it..." Her memories flashed to the Driver, the slash over his face, Shining's stitches on his cheek. The arrow through his shoulder and stomach. Shining limping during the second murder. Garnet impaling the Driver with his sword right through his diaphram, Shining looking like he was suffering from bloodloss...

As soon as Shining walks into the police station proper, Gumomo snatches one of Ariel's throwing knives from her sheaths causing a 'hey!' from the mare before turning around and hurling the knife right at Shining nailing him in the arm. The stallion yelps and clutches his injured lip while the inspector and two guards in the room gasp.

"What the fuck?!" Garnet shouts.

Shining looks up with rage at Gumomo, "bitch! I'm fucking sick of running from you, you big tittied cunt!" In a flash of green fire, Shining transforms into the Driver and draws his dagger which morphs into a magical shortsword.

The guards gasp and run in terror screaming 'witchcraft' and 'monster'.

"Alright slut, let's finish this." The Driver grows before lunging at Gumomo, his sword cuts the side of her torso slicing only skin. Gumomo growls back and hops up onto one of the desks drawing her bow and losing an arrow at the Driver which sinks into his thigh eliciting a grunt of pain. He starts to move but stumbles a bit and shakes his head, "what... t-the fuck..."

Ariel leans against the door frame of the captain's office, "yaaaa... my throwing knives are kinda poisoned. You're probably gonna die in a minute or two even if you managed to run away."

Garnet was about to draw his mace when Gumomo called out "don't. His life is mine. He made me miss." Then she drew another arrow. The Driver prepared to dodge as Gumomo glared daggers at him, a tense moment passed before the arrow loosed, fueled by the Kensei's Kiai Strike it flew with unnatural speed, the Driver couldn't even move before the arrow sailed right through his heart and out his back landing in the wall behind him. The Driver's mouth gaped open, saliva pouring down with eyes wide in shock before falling to the ground with a thud as blood pooled out underneath him.

His body erupted in green flame before settling down leaving a Changeling in place of the Driver.

Gumomo hopped down and walked over, kicked the Changeling onto his back, "who's Hive are you apart of?" she demanded.

The Changeling sputtered and spazmed before spitting at Gumomo's legs. The Unicorn kicked him in the ribs causing a gurgle of pain from him, "whos. Hive. Are. You. From?"

"F-fuck y-you..." he struggled out, "you h-have no id-dea... wh-aht you're g-getting involved with, it's-s so m-much bigg-ger than y-you can im-magine..." then the poison finished off what was left of his strength and his head turned to the side letting out one last breath.

"Well... that solves that then..." Ariel stated.

"There's still the serial killer. This was just one of his lackeys." Garnet reminded, "Jackel's still gonna look for another victim tonight..."

XXXXX

A couple hours later...

Guards were informed of the imposter and searched around the city for the real Shining Armor as well as keeping an eye one one another for suspicious activity in case another guard had been replaced.

Gumomo rubbed her side as Ariel finished stitching her up and placed a bandage over it with wet mashed herbs layered on it.

"Alright, after about a half hour the wound should be closed up. It was a pretty shallow cut so it should heal quickly and nicely with that salve. I'd say to not push yourself but you'll probably just ignore me." Ariel shrugged.

Garnet was leaning his arm against the police station wall as he stared out the window. The sun had set and night fell upon the land, "How does he pick his targets... he goes after whores but that's not enough to draw an MO... and what's with the Changeling? The gunponies and those assassins from the alley kinda confirm the theory of a murderous cult. There's definitely an organization of some kind that are all in on this. Are they all Changelings though? Or just some of them? Or was that asshole unique?" the Barbarian shook his head, "it's like we get two questons for every answer we find."

Ariel wrapped the magical shortsword in a cloth and tied it to her back, "well, we did get a few things out of this. We know spies have infiltrated the guards. The real Shining's probably long since dead. That and I got a nice shiny thing to sell so that's a plus."

Gumomo just stared at the dead Changeling, quiet and pensive.

Eventually the three left as the clock neared midnight.

But the bell never rang.

Garnet stared up at the gothic clock tower, "... do they seriously think that keeping the bell from ringing will stop the killer?"

"Lilac?! Lilac!" A stallion called out to the night. The Adventurers turned to see a stallion run over, huffing and panting, he looked up with bright panic in his eyes, "My wife Lilac! I-I can't find her!"

Hoof steps clop along the cobblestone and the ponies turn to see a young colt, "Biege Seed!" he stops to catch his breath, "Silver Tankard said that Lilac came around the pub looking for you, she got worried when you weren't home right away."

Biege starts biding his nails, "oh please alright..." he whispers to himself.

Then another figure comes out of the fog, a yellow Pegasus with a blue mane in half-platemail and a badge showing him as the new head constable walks forward.

Biege looks up, "Flash Sentry?"

The new captain looks at him with a neutral face, "we found Lilac."

Biege begins shaking, "i-is sh-he-"

"Yes." Flash says, "Just like the others."

"NOOOOOOO!" Biege collapses onto the ground and huddles up into a ball sobbing, "LIIILAAAAC!"

Flash silently walks into the police station. The Adventurers join him, the captain slumps down into a seat with a sigh, he reaches under one of the investigator's desks and pulls out a flask of whisky. "We found Lilac a little ways away from the pub, throat slit, blood missing and organs harvested." he takes a big swig of the liqour, "just like the others... Biege probably blames himself. He was on the council when they voted to hold the clock tower from ringing the bell thinking it would deteer the murderer. He's probably thinking that if lilac had heard the bell she would have known to run indoors or something... and Lilac's hands were missing so that's something new... Godsdamn... ponies dropping left and right... the captain's missing... probably dead..." he looks over at the dead Changeling, "can you believe that thing posed as him for months? Went home to Shining's wife and son, lived another pony's life like everything was just fine and dandy."

Garnet looked down with a depressed face, "he had a family?..."

"Ya. Merrel Mint, his wife, she's a baker; and his son Shining Jr. It's not the first time it happened. Shining's father, Armor senior was also killed investigating the Ripper."

"Armor Senior?" Gumomo asked.

"Ya, Shining's family always has sons, first born is always named Shinging Armor in memory of an ancient ancestor or something. They always look so much like their fathers too. Even Shining Jr. looks just like the captain... and now he's gonna grow up without a dad; tch, probably gonna join up with the guards to avenge his pop just like Shining did... its kind of a family curse." Flash sighed and rubbed his face, "You know, this is usually a peaceful town. Nice ponies, good economy. No bandits want to fuck with the capitol city where the Queen and her royal guards live. Ya there's a couple criminals, every city has them but they're few and far between. Despite the dank and kinda depressing atmosphere, Barovia is actually a very nice place to live... just... not when this shit happens... every fucking generation. Thirteen years like clockwork; that fucking psycho comes back and starts butchering mares." He took a very large swig of the whisky.

"Should we take a look?" Garnet asked.

Flash shrugs, "go ahead if you want, we've finished investigating the body but the undertaker might have already collected the body."

XXXXX

The three Adventurers head towards the scene of the crime, they see a dog in the street gnawing on a bone, it looks up at thim and yips before darting off into the fog.

"Even the animals are on edge." Garnet breaths.

AS they turn to the alley, they see three guards standing over the corpse of Lilac, her body is shredded brutally.

Gumomo stops causing her companions to pause. "Her hands aren't missing." she glares at the guards, "and Flash said they were finished investigating the body."

As soon as the guards saw Gumomo's threatening glare, they spotted the other two Adventurers drawing their weapons. The guards shifted into their Changeling forms and quickly fled while the dead mare suddenly got up, shapechanged and sprinted after her companions.

"WAT..." Ariel asked, "no really... WAT?"

Gumomo sighed, "whatever, this was just another distraction."

XXXXX

The next night.

"DON'T LET HIM GET AWAY!" Garnet shouts. They finally caught the killer in the act. How many ponies had died now? Counting the ones that were taken while the Adventurers were distracted... 4? 5? 6? who knows. The only thing running through Garnet's head was to catch the Ripper and smash his skull in.

The Ripper was a large stallion, looking just like the killer they saw on the first night of the murders. He smashed through a door into the printing press. The three Adventurers rushed in, the room was dark, smell of ink and paper filled the air. It was time. The final showdown with Jackel the Ripper.

Gumomo had her bow drawn, looking around the dark room, the wind blew in from the outside of the knocked down door caused papers to swish about. Garnet idly spun his flail around keeping his buckler up. Ariel had her dagger drawn, sneaking around in the darkness with her enchanted ring preventing her armor from making her loud or easy to see.

Something rushed passed them, the group looked around frantically.

Unlike her compatriots, Gumomo could see perfectly in the darkness, she watched carefully and saw two Changelings rushing through the darkness; she loosed an arrow striking one of them in the chest piercing a lung, the creature fell to the ground dead. The next leapt out at Garnet who blocked its attack with his shield and smashed his flail into its skull; the creature's head caved in and its body lit up in spontaneous fire.

"woah!" Gumomo shouted.

Garnet twirled the flail around, "flail of burning." he said with a smile.

Then the singing of metal slicing flesh was heard and the two ponies turned around to see another Changeling standing and shaking before falling to the ground dead with Ariel standing behind it holding her now bloody dagger, "I think that was the last of them."

A low gutteral growl filled the area. The three turned to see the back of the room and then something smashed through the printing press sending paper and ink flying through the air, before them a 7 foot tall bipedal Jackel stood before them snarling with the same yellow crazed eyes as the Ripper.

"Huh... an Equinjackel... Jackel the Ripper... that's a terrible pun." Gumomo said before the Ripper backhanded her sending her flying into one of the wooden walls and smashing through it.

Ariel pulled out a poisoned throwing knife and hurled it at the Lycan but the blade merely bounced off its thick hide. "Shit... Garnet? What are you doing?"

Garnet took off the last of his armor and clothes, then fell to all fours, growling as the sounds of snapping bones filled the air, Ariel watched as his muscles grew larger, limbs elongated, fur turned brown and soon the Earth Pony turned into a large 9 foot tall bipedal bear.

"What... the... fuck..." Ariel stared, "You're an Equinbear?!"

Garnet roared at the Ripper who roared back, the two Lycans charged at oneanother and slammed into each other's bodies with impossible force, the sheer momentum of the impact snapping multiple bones in both Lycan's bodies; their regeneration instantly setting to work on repairng the damage as the beasts wrestled on the floor.

Gumomo popped up from the whole she had been hit through holding her head with one hand "did anypony get the name of that stagecoach owner?" she asked dazedly as her eyes spun around.

Garnet and the Ripper rolled aorund before kicking off eachother and standing up, Garnet slashed with his massive bear claws at the Ripper who dodged two of the heavy swipes only to be clipped on the muzzle by one claw while the other swipe slashed open his chest. The Ripper returned fire with his own fast claw slashes but each one hit the Equinbear at a bad angle and bounced off of Garnet's thick hide.

Ariel looked around the room and spotted bottles of vodka that the workers probably drank while on break. An idea formed in her head, "Gumomo! I need your help!"

Garnet tackled into the Ripper sending them both crashing through a wall over to a staircase leading to the second floor, they crashed through a support beam on the way and rendered teh stairs to dust. The Ripper kicked Garnet off with supernatural strength sending him flying through another wall and smashing another support beam.

"Shit!" Gumomo swore, "they're going to take the whole building down at this rate!"

"That's the idea!" Ariel chirped as she poured alchohol all over the walls, floor, and splashed it up on the ceiling.

The Ripper pounced onto Ganet and began mauling him with raking claws and snapping at his neck.

Garnet clapped his huge paws on the Ripper's head shattering his eardrums, then he rolled over until he was ontop of the Ripper, stood up while sinking his claws into the Jackel, lifted him up above him and hurled him through another wall smashing another support beam and landing the Equinjackel into another printing press cuasing a small explosion of gears and machinery. Ink splattered every in the room as Garnet charged in, both Lycans now covered in black goo.

"I hope this works." Gumomo said as she emptied the last bottle of alchohol.

"Me too." Replied Ariel.

Garnet body slammed the Ripper and wrapped his arms around him in a bear-hug, then began using all his supernatural strength to crush the life out of the Equinjackel.

The Ripper roared and coughed as its rips were snapped by the crushing prison, it raked its hind legs against Garnet's stomach and legs while biting at his head and neck.

"Alright, that's it!" Ariel yelled before setting flame to the alchohol. The entire printing station erupted in snakes of flame traced throughought the walls, floors and ceilings.

The sight of a huge gout of fire turning the printing room into an inferno terrified the two Lycans on the primal level and Garnet hopped off of the Ripper pushed into fleeing mode. As the Ripper aslo got up to find a way out, it howled in pain as a silver tipped arrow ripped through its knee forcing down onto all fours, three more arrows flew through the fire hitting its other knee and both elbows. The Lycan fell to the ground unable to stand; a large chunk of the celing gave way from a mixture of abuse and the growing fire, it slammed down onto the Ripper's back forcing it completely prone.

Garnet was panicking, there was fire everywhere! Primal instincts of his Lycan blood screamed at him to run, RUN! But there was nowhere to go!

"Garnet!" Gumomo yelled.

Ariel threw tarps over some of the flames to form an open path to the front door as Garnet turned to the voice, he charged out over the tarp and lept out the doors into the cobblestone streets.

The two mares also rushed out just as the entrance collapsed behind them.

The printing station erupted, crackling with burning wood and the howling of the Equinjackel, roaring in agony as it burned.

Bits of the building collapsed in on itself as windows exploded letting out gouts of fireballs.

Gumomo and Ariel went over to Garnet who panted, laying on his back, his chest and belly covered in slashes and claw marks. The wounds began to close of their own accord and Garnet's exhaustion caught up with him, his body shrunk, fur returned to maroon color and bones reset into their proper place until once again an Earth Pony lay before the two mares.

Ariel dropped Garnet's equipment unceremoniously ontop of him, "got your stuff out. Your welcome." she snorted and spat at the burning building.

Constables and Policemares ran over to the scene.

"What the fuck is going on?!" Flash yelled.

"We found the Ripper." Gumomo answered.

"What? Where is he?"

Ariel pointed her thumb at the burning and now crumbling building, "in there."

One last mournful howl pierced the night as Jackel the Ripper breathed his last.

"My gods... its finally over..." Flash breathed.

"No, not over..." Gumomo looked at the blaze, "but one major pawn has been taken down. And that's a victory in itself.

XXXXX

The next night, the three Adventurers were packing up to leave. They each got 500 gold as a bounty reward for taking down the Ripper. Ariel sold that magical shortsword for a nice 3100 gold on the side.

"So... I've been thinking..." Garnet started.

"Oh, that can't be good." Ariel quipped with a smart ass grin.

"Ya, fuck you too. Anyway, we work pretty good together. I mean... maybe we should stick together for a bit. Not like for anything long term but you know, the three of us fighting side by side could kick a lot of ass and help a lot of ponies." he stared with a bland look at Ariel, "and make a lot of money."

Ariel looked up at the ceiling of the pub, "hmm... ya know... that actually sounds fun. I like you guys, you're sexy, violent, and have a knack for getting into trouble. I can get behind that. Eh why the fuck not?"

Gumomo crossed her arms underneath her breasts, "oh I suppose... It's either travel with you or travel alone... and it would be nice to have two beautiful ponies to keep me warm at night on the road... hmmm I suppose I'll travel with you two, at least for a while."

"Great!" Garnet chirped.

XXXXX

As the three departed from the city, deep within one of the alleyways, a mare walked along, thinking she was safe. Jackel the Ripper was finally dead. And unfortunately so was she. "Little tart, little tart... I must drink from your blackened heart."

The mare froze, and felt something cold press against her neck.

"Jackel the Ripper is never really gone. He just gets a new face every now and then." SHHHLK.

The mare dropped dead to the floor of the alley. Above her a Changeling stared at the body, "and unfortunately, it has once again come time for a new Ripper to surface. But you my little tart... you're the last sacrifice we needed... so the world will not see the new face of Jackel... not yet... at least... not for another thirteen years. But that's just how things work in this strange town. Barovia, the city of fog. Goodnight little tart. And dream. Another Jackel will rise when the sacrifices must once again be claimed." The Changeling looked up at the foggy sky, "I wonder... what kind of monster will we raise? Well... either way we have thirteen years to raise it."

XXXXX

"So..." Ariel said as they left the outskirts of Barovia entering the traveling roads of Equestria, "you're an Equinbear huh?... that's neat..."

Garnet stared at Ariel with a nonplussed look, "you have a dick."

"... touche..."

They then looked over to Gumomo, "what about you? Got any strange physical... unique-ness?"

Gumomo sighed, "I suppose I might as well. With a flash of green fire her skin became covered in a thick carapace and her eyes changed to those of a spieders, translucent wings spread from her back along with four spindly spider legs, long sharp claws formed on her finger tips and around her mouth were two large pincers.

"woah!" Garnet jumped, "wait... you're a Changeling?!"

Ariel's eyes widened, "that is baddass!"

"Before you ask, no I'm not with them" Gumomo pointed her thumb back at Barovia, "Different Hive. In fact I am not even originally from this world. I was forced into Ravenloft by the mists a while back. My home world is Equis. My mother... the queen of the Hive liked to... hmm... experiment with genetics on her eggs... I was once such experiment; crossed with a spider and... well, here are the results." she gestured to her mutated body.

"That is awesome..." Ariel said as she prodded Gumomo's spider legs and mandables.

"I'd appreciated if you didn't probe me like that." Gumomo said with a flat stare. "I thought you liked getting probed?" Ariel asked flirtatiously.

Gumomo shook her head and chuckled, "You think about sex as much as me..." With a flash of green fire, she returned to her 'normal' appearance.

"Can you like... walk up walls?" Ariel asked.

"Yes. And yes I can produce webbing, no I do not produce from my anus, it forms like saliva from my mouth. Yes I can speak to spiders, no I can't command them." Gumomo said with slight agitation in her voice.

"you are so awesome!" Ariel cheered.

Garnet sighed, "well... not the strangest thing I've come across in this world..." he looked up at the starry sky, free of Barovia's fog, "so... where to next?"

Ariel looped an arm over both ponies, "wherever the wind takes us! Adventure awaits!"

And so another adventure is concluded.

END OF CHAPTER.

Review if you liked!

Author's Note: I have decided to just stick with the three characters shown in this story for now.


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